The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-04
HAVE NOT AS YET BEEN TOUCHED
BY TROLLEY FARE COLLEC-
TOR LITTLE.
SMITH AVENUE HIGH BRIDGE
WAS BLACK YESTERDAY MORN
ING WITH EAGER, MORBID,
ANXIOUS SPECTATORS,
BUT LITTLE DID NOT JUMP OFF.
Police Would Not Let Him, and Be-
sides He vvas Not There,
Anyway.

About o'clock yesterday morning
several dozen people paced expectantly
backward and forward on the middle
span Of the high bridge. P. NJ. Lit
tie, former street car conductor, had
given it out that he intended establish
ing a comparison between Steve Bro
dies record and about thirty cents,
with the preference slightly in favor of
the small change, by leaping into the
river below, and the group on the
bridge had gotten around early to wit
ness the event. 1t was not scheduled,
however, until 10 o'clock, and gradu-
ally the crowd on the bridge increased
until shortly before the appointed time
nearly 800 persons waited eagerly for
the bridge jumpers appearance, gaz-
ing from time to time over the rail to
the depths below with involuntary
shuddering and murmurs of awe at
the exhibition Of courage which they
expected to witness in Little's leap.
Hell be killed sure" said one.
''No, he won't" replied another. "He
is all fixed for the jump. He is going
to have a rubber suit and lead soles on
bis shoes to keep his body upright in
the descent"
Gracious! Isn't it awful? How do
you suppose he will ever dare do such
a hazardous thing? He must be aw
fully brave" calculated a black-eyed
miss, who had probably sat up late
the previous night reading Bertha NJ
Clay
"Aw, git out" volunteered tough
young man, who had walked from the
Rice street district Wat yer givin
US? De stiff amt goin' ter jump. He's
only kiddin'. Jes' maxim a grand-stand
play for himself, so more people II
ride on his car and de company'Il raise
his wages. OATS all. Dat guy
wouldn't jump off'n de edge Of a side
walk in rain Storm
And the tough young man was right
SO far as his first assertion was con-
cerned. Little did not jump, accord
ing tc his promise, and every one was
disappointed. They had come out to
see some one leap to possible death
and hardly relished being fkidded."
But they all hung around the bridge
for several hours hoping that the sue
cessor of Steve Brodie would make an
appearance. A row boat containing two
in the water below and as long as the
occupants continued their pastime of
fishing people craned their neckS over
the railing, expecting every moment to
see a rigid form shoot through space
as the impression had become general
that this boat was in the river for the
purpose Of picking UP Little after his
jump.
While the crowd grew impatient, the
at
tiOn took in the scene with a field
glass. When it was seen that there
really were quite a number of people
Who expected Little to keep his word
the authorities planned to stop the per-
formance. st. Paul has not had an eX-
citing incident for some time, and the
police did not propose to allow any
thing out of the ordinary to come off
it was posi- bic to prevent it. The pa
troll wagon was summoned and Officer
Pat Newcome sent post haste to the
bridge with instructions to place Little
under arrest if he attempted to make
the jump. officer NeWcome is person
ally acquainted with Little and was Sc
lected to prevent the daring jumper
from walking unSuspected to the rail
and plunging over before he could be
intercepted. But the precaution was
unnecessary. Little failed to show up.
Probably he punctured his rubber suit
or he may have forgotten entirely
about the sensation he had promised.
Twelve O'Clock arrived, and, with still
fifty curiosity seekers lettering about
the bridge, officer Newcome clambered
into the patrol wagon and drove back
to the station. Those who remained
there hoped that Little would attempt
the jump after the police left the op-
portunity open, but they, too, were dis
appointed, and gradually dispersed.