Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-09-22
OUR NEW YORK LETTER..
A Commonplace Affair at Battery Park.
Knocked Him Out In One
Round.
[specIal Correanondence.l

A happening in Battery park was
OF commonplace enough sort, but to
the close observer was terribly impress
i've" said one Of the out of town news
paper men TO crowd Of the boys on
Newspaper row. Having to wait in
that vicinity for half hour, joined the
folks who idled there for the sake of
the shade of its trees and the fresh
breeze that blew up across the bay.
There is hardly an hour Of the day or
night that this parks benches are not
more or less occupied, and the iron
fence along the sea wall is always well
lined with human beings in the day
time. The bay at this time was alive
with shipping and made spectacle OF
interest in itself joined the crowd at
the sea wall and stood looking on. Sud-
denly there was commotion near the
barge office, stone building jutting out
into the water at the very point of the
city. Around it there is IA narrow stone
platform whose level is few feet
| above high water mark. Revenue cut
| tiers and sometimes other craft tie up
| there. There were no boats there at this
time, and until an instant before the
commotion there was nobody on tho
narrow dock.
1.-The first intimation anybody had of
the occurrence of anything unusual was
the sight of woman running from the
park to the side Of the barge office and
out along the narrow stone platform to
the end. There was that in her move
ments that suggested extreme agitation,
If not impending tragedy, though l
doubt if one in hundred observers
dreamed of the seriousness of her in
tent. The realization came quickly,
| however, for she did not pause at the
end of the platform and ran rather
than jumped off into the water. A few
screams went up from women who were
watching. and "a number of men began
| TO shout frantically. Most of those along
the sea wall stood still, craning their
necks and straining their eyes TO watch
| the outcome The woman had hardly
disappeared beneath the surface of the
water before hundreds came rushing
from the benches in the park to join
the spectators.
Higgins to the Rescue.
1.-THE current is very strong off the
Battery. The woman disappeared from
view for short space, and when she
came to the surface again she was sew
eral feet from the spot where she went
in. Several men had ran excitedly to
the end of the stone platform, but she
was away out of their reach. 1t was
evident, too, that if they could have
| thrown her line she would not have
awaited herself of it. 1t often happens
| that would be suicides desperation is
overcome by the shock of the water, but
it was not so in this case. That woman
wanted to drown Her clothes buoyed
her up somewhat, but she deliberately
held her head under the water as well
as she could. One or two tugs were
passing not far from the wall, and the
crowd began TO shout to attract the at
tention Of their captains. Before this
had been accomplished rowboat was
seen putting away from the other end
of the wall and making toward the wo-
man. A single man was in it, and he
pulled as if he meant business. When
the woman went under again, hun
dred voices yelled to him to tell him
where she was. He paid not the slight
est attention. He knew exactly what he
was about, and presently proved it by
swinging his boat around directly be
side the unfortunate. Then, with
strength and skill that were altogether
admirable, he pulled her aboard. She
Al. 10 gt &c
efforts if that was her desire, and he
landed her at the police precinct dock
at the western border of the park. He
was Joseph Higgins, and this was some
thing like the tenth suicide he has pre-
vented off the Battery sea wall in the
past three years.
Knocked Out In One Round.
1t was one of the prettiest, one round,
Manila knockouts ever seen. All over
in one minute by the watch A Third
avenue cable car was going north, and
made the usual stop at Grand street.
There wasn't any spare space to speak
of, but slender looking man of about
80 thought he could edge in on seat
where there were only four, only one of
the number being broader than the law
allows. The three were courteous enough
to contribute each a few inches of space,
but the big, overfed summer street car
hog, growled like bear and made re-
marks about. folks who never know
when car is full. Then he grew more
personal and insulting, but the new.
conner said never a word. Possibly en-
ragged at the cool reception of his ora
tory, he drew back and landed blow
sideways on the small mans face.
Then the fun began. Leaping to his
feet, the little man let out with right
and left on the ruffian's two cheek
bones with such force that he keeled
over and lay OH the floor almost para
lyzed. The women screamed, and the
men said, Bully BOY The car hog
had run foul of an active member of
tha athlatic cluh xyho hadn't missed