The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-01
LAURA LONG THREATENS TO LEAP
FROM WABASHA STREET
BRIDGE.
CLAMBERED OVER THE RAIL
AND WAS HANGING ON THE
BRINK OF ETERNITY WHEN
CHECKED
By Two Young Men Who Had OBJ
served Her Preparations for
the Deed.

with her mother at 507 WabaSha street,
made an unsuccessful effort to end
her life shortly after o'clock last
evening by attempting to throw herself
from the high span of the WabaSha
street bridge, and was only prevented
from carrying out her rash purpose by
James Mccarthy and Charles Hillman,
who caught her as she trembled on the
verge of the awful plunge. after re-
leasing her hold upon the railing.
When rescued from the perilouS posi-
ton after a struggle, in which Nc
Carthy was nearly dragged over the
rail, the girl bitterly reproached those
who had saved her life, and declared
she had intended to kill herself The
girl was in a state of high nervous
excitement and twice tainted in the
arms of her rescuers, but was finally
resuscitated and taken to the home of
her mother.
The cause of the girls attempt at
Self-deStructiOn is said to have been
quarrel in which she was engaged a
few minutes before with Arthur Col
Inns, formerly a waiter at the Saddle
Rock restaurant, 1913 Jackson street.
The actions of the couple were such as
to attract attention, and when the girl
broke away from Collins side with
tears in her eyes and the words, You
will see whether 1 will do it or not"
the two young men suspected some
thing was wrong.
Collins and the girl had been stand
ing beside the bill board on the right
hand side to the entrance to the bridge
and when she ran down the foot path
he stood for moment watching her.
AS she hurried along, the young Wonl-
an pulled Off her gloves and threw
them oyer the railing. Running along
until she was beyond the railroad
tracks and well over the current of
the river, the young woman peered
over to the water for a moment and
then began climbing upon the railing.
By this time Mccarthy and Hillman
had realized her intentions and ran
toward her to, if possible, intercept
her wild purpose. No one else was
near the girl ON the bridge, and the
young men feared she would make the
terrible leap before they could reach
her. Collins seemed to realize the
young girls design when she started
from him, but evidently thought little
of her threat until she mounted the
railing, when he too, ran toward her
but not before 1T would have been too
late to stop the ,would-be suicide, as
Mccarthy and Hillman were some dis
ldIfSS l1I VI HILL
Deliberately climbing upon the rail-
ing, the girl hesitated for moment,
and then boldly stepped over with one
foot. Drawing her skirts after her,
she sat astride the rail for a moment
and then. released the hold which she
had maintained with her hands. AS
her body swayed for a second above
the dizzy height, she closed her eyes
and started to fall Leaping forward
the remaining distance between himself
and the desperate girl, Mccarthy
seized her. Another second and she
would have fallen. Climbing on the
railing, Mccarthy, with Hillman, who
had clutched the girls clothing a mo-
ment later than his companion, en-
deavored to draw her back upon the
bridge. In the insecure position the
struggles of the girl almost pulled Nc
CaTthy from the rail, but the COM
bined efforts of the two young men
finally placed her in safety. Collins
had, in the meantime, reached the
girls side, and, with a few words of
bitter reproach upon him and her res
cuers, she tainted. BY this time quite
crowd had gathered on the bridge, but
few knew of Miss Longs attempt to
kill herself, as questions as to what
the trouble was were answered by the
statement that the young woman had
simply tainted. Several persons, how
the girl desired to inform the police
of the affair, but, in the meantime, Col
Inns had gotten her to her feet and
led her across the bridge away from
the crowd. When she had somewhat
recovered from her excitement he took
her home.
Collins was seen by a reporter for
the Clio b e at his room, 16 East
Eighth street, after the affair on the
bridge, and stated that he had just
informed Miss Long of his intention Of
the bridge with the threat Of ending
her life. They had something of
quarrel, Collins said, but he did not
think the girl really meant to jump
from the bridge. She had been i'll, as
the result of an accident some months
ago, and was subject to fits Of excite
ment, and her actions, Collins thought,
had been while in one of these spells.
He said he had promised the girl not
to leave the city when he took her
home and that their difficulty was at
an end.
Miss Long, seen at her home, 507
Wabasha street, laughed nervously
when asked concerning her experience
and at first refused to talk of the af-
fair, but finally said she had only
been in jest. She was anxious that her
mother should not learn of the affair,
declaring that she really was not in
earnest when she mounted the bridge
railing. She said she had known Col
Inns since childhood and that they had
kept company for some time.
James Mccarthy is in the employ of
a local caterer, and lives at Tenth and
Robert streets, while Hillman. Miss
Longs other rescuer, is a compositor
on the GLOBE e.