Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1897-12-02
Saved TweHty-Nine lives.

SaSed iWenfy-N inc Lives.
In the Century there is an a-tcl by
the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt. 1T lei
The Roll Of Honor CT the Nev York
Pollce.' In speaking of pronoions
for gallantry, Mr.. Roosevelt sass:
Among the first promotions = I ade
were two which illustrated; the al ldc
OF the Board toward cases Of thsLnd.
and which also incidentally Illustrated
exactly what we mean by ''taknc the
force ont OF politics"-that i, u ad-
ministering it on principles Of de-
cency, and appointing and prGn ing
men on their. merits, withoutre5ard
to their political backing. Tie first
case was that Of an old fellow, .v4ter-
an Of the Civil War, who was Of the
time a roundsman. / happnel to
notice one day that he had avsd a
ON from drowning. and I'D him
summoned so that I might lo,k into
the matter. The old fellow lsolght
up his record before me, and Loyel
not a little nervousness and agitation;
for It appeared that he had grown
gray IN the service, had performed feat
after feat Of heroism. but La no
political backing Of any accoun,. He
was a Grand Army man, but rot one
OF the political" type; and so N not
received any attention from h for
mer Police Boards; and now, Il asst,
he thought there was a chance ior hin.
He had been twenty-five years on
the force, and during hat tine had
saved some twenty-five persons from
death by drowning, varying the per-
Torrance once or twice by saving per
sons from burning buildings. Twice
Congress had passed laws especially
to empower the then Secretary Of the
Treasury, John Sherman, y give him
a medal for distinguished glllantry IL
saving life. The Lifo-Saving Society
had also given him its medal. and SC
had the Police Department. On eX
aiming into his record carefully, vi
found that it was wholly free from
complaints Of any infraction Of duty,
and hat he was sober and trustworthy
We felt that he was entitled to hi<
promotion, and he got it We did no
know his politics, nor did We care
about. them. 1t is very unlikely tina
the wonan whom he last saved. as be
swan out towards her, felt any. specla
interest as to whether lie had voted fO-
Cleveland or Harrison; nor did We. He
had risked his life freely again an'
again in the performance Of his duty
lie had conducted himself so IS to b.
a credit to the department, and 4 credl
to the city; and we felt that he was en-
titled to his reward.
It IS worth while mentioning that h
kept on saving life after he wa promo
ted to a ~sergeantcy. On October u
1896, he again saved a man fron
downing. 1t was at night. nobod.
else was in the n~eighborhoQd. and tn
slip from which he jumpedwasin abso
lute darkness. and he was about te
minutes in the water, which was yer.
cold. The captain Of TIE precinct, /
reporting the case, said: "Ihesergean
was off the bulkhead and intotne waite
after his maj quicker than 1t takes
say Jack Robinson" There was n
way in which the board could rawar
him for this, except by telling him b
was an honor to the department; fc
he had been given all the medals, an
bars to the medals, that he could ]
given. 1t was the twenty-ninth pc
son whose life he had saved during i
twenty-three years service IN the d
partment. and he was tifty-hve yea.
1jI whom hn coyal him