St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-26
HARRY MENIER LEAPS FROM
THE WABASHA STREET
BRIDGE
INTO THE RIVER BELOW.
THRILLING SIGHT WITNESSED
BY A FEW PERSONS YEsTER-
DAY AFTERNOON.
STEVE BRODIE ISN'T IN 1T.
After Getting Out of the Water He
Turns IL Handspring-Plac
Under Arrest.

WabaSha street bridge was the
scene Of a thrilling sensation a few
minutes before o'clock yesterday
afternoon. 1t wasn't a murder, Meth
er was 1t a suicide, though THE small
coterie who witnessed the affair felt
sure it would amount to the latter
The only one who seemed to entertain
a different idea previous to the mo-
ment the thing came off was the
hero of the occasion-if hero is the
word to express it. The name Of this
individual is Harry Menier, and the
sensation consisted of leap from
the highest point on the Wabasha
tance of 125 feet, swimming fully 100
feet to shore and then turning a hand
spring inside of a minute.
Menier halls from Brooklyn, and
claims Ito be an old parachute and
bridge jumper. Originally he trav-
eled with a circus, giving exhibitions
in balloon ascensions, ''leaps from
the Clouds" and similar feats. Not
satisfied with the amount of notoriety,
and, incidentally, cash, he was acquir-
ing from this, he took to the more
hazardous feat of bridge jumping
He claims to be the first man who
made the leap safely from the Brook
lyn bridge, the feat with which Steve
Brodie has been credited. The Brook
lyn bridge is 139 feet high, but this
was not high enough for Menier, so
he determined to leap from the
Poughkeepsie bridge, which is 212 feet
high. This feat, he says, he accom-
plished a. year ago yesterday.
Even with this record, his fame
has not yet spread to his satisfac-
tion, but few days ago he came
here with the determinati that it
should. On his arrival, Menier hunt
ed up some of the sporting fraternity
and undertook the task Of convincing
them that he had record, and 1t
was ION the square," but his apparel
and appearance were against him,
and he could not establish his right
to this claim. They wouldn't have it.
There was but one argument that
would lift the cloud from his title-he
must jump from the Wabasha street
bridge.
But with all his love of fame" Me-
nier is not in the jumping business for
amusement. Not much. There must
be some coin back of the fame" So
just to see what there was in the fel-
low, one of the men offered to give him
SIS if he would make the jump. Be
sides there was the inducement of s1O0
for a week in the museum at the Flour
city. His life against s125-it was a
good bet, about an even thing, and,
with his natural inclination to jump,
of course he jumped at the coin.
Christmas eve a sleepy looking indi-
vidual called at the different news
paper offices. Aside from the fact that
he had evidently just had a clean
shave. he was a typical "hobo" in ap-
pearance. He had an old overcoat that
was a size and a half too large and
the remainder of his apparel was in
keeping. At each office he calmly gave
out the information that his name was
Harry. Menier, the bridge jumper, and
he was going to jump off the Wabasha
street bridge the next day. 1t was a
cInch-the fellow was either bent on
suicide or was crazy, and but little
attention was paid to him. But when
he called again yesterday afternoon
and said, Come on, now, if you want
to see me take that jump" there was
nothing to do but have a reporter go
and get the news, whether it was to
IL L. L. Ia. -
feat.
Menier went into William Twom-
bley's, where few people had congre-
gated in anticipation of the event, and
when they looked the man over it was
ten to one shot that he was crazy,
|, and would never come up alive. Menier
had little to say, but walked direct to
a back room, where he donned his
tights, and a more surprising change
was never made in a man by a change
of apparel. While not a large man, he
proved to be remarkably well devel-
oped physically, the muscles of his
arms being Of enormous proportions,
considering his size otherwise. 1t was
evident at a glance, then, that he was
an athlete. But an athletic build was
not sufficient guarantee that he could
make the hazardous leap in safety, and
the suggestion was made by one or
two Of those present that he should not
be allowed to jump.
"Why, what's the use stopping the
guy?" queried another. Let him go
on and commit suicide If he wants to-.
What's the good of such people living?
Nobody is doing anything to encourage
him. Let him alone"
81 thought he was bluffing at first"
put in another, but now I begin to
think he is on the square. Well all
be 'pinched' If he kills himself
Pinch nothing replied still another
GLOW can you be pinched if you don't
do anything to encourage him."
Menier's appearance from his dress
ing room put a stop to these remarks.
He had pulled on his trousers and over
coat over his tights, leaving the re-
mainder of his scanty clothing in the
room behind him.
aYou had better send your clothes
to a charitable institution suggested
some one, as the bridge jumper came
forward But the latter paid no at
tention to it.
'Have a drink before you co. said
Twombley,. and this remark had more
effect upon him, for he halted and took
drink that would have sufficed for
a bath. Another of like proportions
followed, and then he started for the
door.
"Now we want to work this thing
right" he said as he reached the door.
1--WE must not all rush out together.