The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-10-04
A FAKE BRIDGE JUMP
THE NEW YORK SUN SAYS MRS. MAR
THUR WAS THROWN OVERHEARD.

THE NEW YORK SUN SAYS MRS. MAR
THUR WAS THROWN OVERHEARD.
But IL lou See 1t IN The Sun 1t LIS Not
Always so-Claims That the Affair Was
an Amusing Fraud-A Singular Story
From Gotham.
The story Of the latest Brooklyn
bridge jump is thus told by the New
| York Sun:
Mrs. McArthur's husband is an ex-
prize fighter, and two of his intimate
friends are Jack Smith, also an ex-pugi-
| list, and William Hartman, Harlem
| lite. Smith and Hartman got up the
! scheme, and it was suggested that Mrs.
Macarthur enact the role of the jump
er. Macarthur pleaded that his wife
couldn't swim stroke and was mortally
afraid of the water, but Smith said that
that didn't matter, as all she'd have to
do was to allow herself to get good and
wet and then feign Inconsistencies for
time. They'd fix up the rest of the
scheme, he said.
Mrs. Macarthur was approached on
the matter, and after a good deal Of
hesitation she agreed to do her part.
Then Smith and Hartman got John J.
Halligan, a saloon keeper, interested in
the scheme. They told Halligan, how
ever, that Mrs. Macarthur would really
make the jump, and he agreed to pay
all incidental expenses and to back Mrs.
Macarthur in theatrical tour after the
papers had made her famous In return
he was to receive rs per cent of Mrs.
McArthur's salary as an actress. Later
! it was decided that there was more
money and less risk in putting Mrs. Nc
Arthur in museum as freak, and ac-
cordingly an agreement was signed with
Bowery museum proprietor whereby
Mrs. Macarthur was to be exhibited at
weekly salary of 800, while Smith and
Hartman were to pose as life savers at
$25 week each.
In order to fool Halligan, Mrs. Nc
Arthur was taken daily to boathouse
on the Harlem river and allowed to
founder about in three or four feet of
water, and one day, after seeing her go
through this exercise, Halligan was so
deeply impressed with her ability that
he went out and bet $4,000 that she
would really jump from the bridge.
When the day for the jump came,
Mrs. Macarthur arrayed herself in neat
swimming costume, weighted her legs
with bags of sand and drove down to
the bridge with Hartman and Smith.
They crossed to the Brooklyn side and
then drove to a dock where Smith had
arranged to have boat in waiting. All
three got in the boat and rowed out into
midstream. At signal from Smith
some one, whose identity is still wrap
ped in mystery, but who, it is suspect
ed, was Mr.. Macarthur, dropped dunn
my from the bridge, and then Smith
told Mrs. Macarthur to fall into the river
from the back of the boat. Mrs. Near
thur, who had been getting very pale as
the time for her act approached, looked
at the water and said that she guessed
she'd had enough.
"Whatr' gasped Smith. "Do yoL
mean to spoil everything now?"
81 can't swim stroke, and it's ter
ribly coldr' pleaded Mrs. Macarthur.
| Jump right in, and we'll haul you
out" said Hartman. "It'll be all over
in minute. F"
81 dom want to- said the woman,
and she began to cry.
"You must, and right away too"
said Hartman, and grabbing the fright
ened woman he held her while Smith
fastened rope around her waist. Then,
without bit of ceremony, he threw her
in the river and jumped in after her.
Then Smith hauled them both in, and
the men rowed to the New York shore,
where a call was sent in for an ambu-
lance. From this time ON Mrs Near
thur played her part admirably.
She feigned Inconsistencies and
fooled the ambulance surgeon and the
police completely. When she had recov-
cred and was ready to receive reporters,
she told Of the sensations experienced
by bridge jumper with remarkable
plausibility, and the next day was ex-
plotted in all Of the papers as truly
remarkable woman,
1t was one of the most successful
fakes ever perpetrated, and the only
mistake that Messrs. Smith and Hart
man made was rot providing some sort
Of employment for Mr.. Macarthur. It
just began to dawn on that worthy that
he was out in the cold when the affair
was all over, and in great indignation
he went to Halligan and demanded that
he be exhibited in the museum as life
saver with Smith and Hartman.
"Not on your life!' said Halligan.
"You're no life saver. You didn't save
the woman's life.
Neither did they" replied Near
thur
"What?" gasped Halligan. "What do
you mean?'
"Just what say replied Near
thur, and then he told Halligan the
whole story of the imposition. Halligan
sent for Smith, who acknowledged the