The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-23
SAY Cd TWENTY-NINs LIVES.
A New York Policeman Who Was Pro-
moted For signal Gallantry.

Aoi
In The Century there is an article by
the Hon Theodore Roosevelt, entitled
THE Roll Of Honor of the New York Po-
lice IL speaking of promotions for gal
lantry, Mir Roosevelt says:
Among the urst promotions we made
were two VIII . Illustrated the attitude
of the board t. AID cases of this kind and
which also inc cntally illustrated exactly
what we near taking the force out of
politics flat by administering it on
principles OF dec, acy and appointing and
promoting men On their merits without
regard 70 their political backing The
first case was that of an old fellow, vet.
eran of the civil war who was at the time
a roundsman ! happened 10 notice orc
day that ne had saved a won an froin
drowning and had him summoned SC that
/ might look into the matter The old
fellow brought up his record before me
and showed not little nervousness and
agitation. for it appeared that he had
grown gray IN the service, had performed
feat after feat of herCism but had no pClit
teal backing of any account He was 4
Grand Army man, but not one of the 'po.
litical type. and so had not received any
attention frcm the former police boards
and now at last he thought there was
chance for him
He had been % years on the force and
during that time had saved some % Per
sons from death by drowning. varying the
performance once or twice Ly saving TcT.
sons from burning buildings. Twice cen
gress had Eaescd laws especially to emrCw
err the then secretary Of the treasury, John
Sherman. to give him medal for distin.
guished gallantry in saving life. The Life
Saving society had also given him its med.
al, and so had the police department.. On
examining into his record carefully we
found that it was wholly free from COM
plants of any iniraction Of duty and that
he was sober and trustworthy. We felt
that he was entitled to his promotion, and
he got it. We did not know his politics,
nor did we care about it. 1t is very unlike
ly that the woman whom he last saved,
as he swan out toward her, felt any spe-
cial interest as to whether he had voted for
Cleveland or Harrison, nor did we. He
had risked his life freely again, and again
in the performance of his duty he had
conducted himself so as to be credit to
the department and a credit to the city,
and we felt that he was entitled to his re-
ward.
1t is worth while mentioning that he
htpO vi wing illt dlltT nt WAS
to a sergeantcy On Oct 81, 1896, he
again saved man from drowning 1t
was at night, nobody else was in the
neighborhood, and the slip from which he
jumped was in absolute darkness, and he
was about ten minutes in the water, which
was very cold. The captain of the pre-
cinct, in reporting the case, said, "The
sergeant was off the bulkhead and into
the water after his man quicker than it
takes to say Jack Robinson. =" There
was no way in which the board could re-
ward him for this except by telling him
that he was an honor to the department,
for he had been given all the medals and
bars to the medals that he could be given.
1t was the twenty ninth person whose life
he had saved during his 80 years service
in the department. and he was 55 years
old when he saved him.