The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-23
SOTHERN AND HARMED
ACTORS RESCUED FROM DROWNING
IN SURF OF LONG ISLAND.
Ned Gave His Life Saver "A Check for
$50O-Edith Crane Bitten by
RattIesnake.

NEW YORK, July RE. H. Sothern has
actually had as narrow an escape from
death as he has ever had on the stage.
He has often won the plaudits of the multi
tude by his mimic acts of bravery. and he
has invariably reaped his reward at the
close of the drama. He does not forget
that real. daring should be recompensed,
and John Raynor, of the life-saving crew
at Lawrence, L. l., has received a sub
stantiaLs token of his gratitude. Raynor
went to the bank in Far Rockaway yester-
day TO cash check for $500 that Mr.. Soth-
had given him. He was questioned on
the subject, and he then told for the first
time the story OF the rescue. He did not
lay any particular stress upon the part that
he had played in the adventure, but he was
delighted with the gift he had received,
and he explained to questioning friends the
cause of his good fortune.
Mr.. Sothern went for a bath in the surf
on Saturday afternoon with his wife. who
is well known on the stage as Virginia
Harmed, and another lady. friend of Mrs.
Sothern. There were comparatively few
persons on the beach, as the weather was
threatening and no one was in the water.
They were all good swimmers. so, Of
course they scorned the life lines. They
deep water when the actor noticed that the
shore had receded more rapidly than their
swimming pace seemed to warrant.
Let US swim back, my DEAR" he said to
his wife.
"All right" she replied. I'm a little
tired, as it is.
So all three turned their faces toward
the shore and swan for home. But it
seemed like trying to swim up the Niagara
rapids The bathing houses, the strip of
beach, the flags and crowd were all grow
ing smaller and smaller. The swirling
them of their breath. Some unseen force
seemed to be sucking them down. They
were in the undertow.
Hardly able n keep his own head above
water, the actor strove to support his wife
Turn on your back and f1oatn' he cried to
her; but when she tried to obey him she
was spun around like a top. and a series OF
choppy waves smothered her face She
gasped for breath and clutched at her hus-
bands arm. The third member of the
against the undertow. Not one Of them,
they afterward confessed, expected to
reach dry land again.
But Joseph Raynor had seen them. for 1t
is just such accidents that he is continu-
ally on the lookout for. When it became
evident from the shore that they were in
trouble Raynor launched his catamaran
and hurried toward them. By the time he
reached them the two women were COM
aboard with great difficulty.
The catamaran is intended to hold only
three persons, and as soon as Raynor had
helped Mrs. Sothern and her friend into it
he jumped into the water himself to make
room for Mr.. Sothern. The actor took the
oars and rowed, while the life saver swan
behind, with one hand on the rail.
AS soon as they reached shallow water
Raynor pushed the little boat toward the
shore and then assisted the three persons
whom he had rescued to get to dry land
Mr. Sothern dropped limp and senseless on
the sand. Restoratives were Immediately
applied and he quickly regained conscious
ness. Mrs Sothern bore up well, but her
friend was too much exhausted to move.
The actor, after warmly thanking Ray
nor, started for his cottage, in Central ave-
nue., Lawrence. Raynor did not tell the
story of the rescue until he had occasion
to cash his check yesterday.