Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-22
BRATTLEBORO LOCAL.
MANAGES ICY BATH.
Plunged Twice into the Connecticut
River

And Was Rescued with Great Difficult
~ by Chas. Cushman and WIN War
ren---Drngged up the Embankment
by Six Men and Taken TO the Retreat.
The employees of the depot and the gas
house, the Brattleboro Beef company's
force, and good-sized crowd of other per-
sons were given an hour of exciting diver
sion Tuesday morning by the attempts of
Geo. l.. Sillaman of Rutland to drown
himself In the Connecticut river Silla-
man left Rutland Tuesday morning in
company with his brother-in-law, Benja-
min Pollard, arriving in Brattleboro on the
9:10 train. Their destination was the
Brattleboro Retreat to which Sillaman
was to be committed, having been insane
for several months past. At Bellows
Falls Pollard nearly lost his brother-in-law,
who tried to leave the train but was caught
before he succeeded in doing so.
On reaching this town both men alight-
ed from the train, and Sillaman went i'm
mediately to Chas. Ellis, the hack driver,
handing him the check for his trunk. He
then started towards the Brattleboro Beef
company's market and had gotten half
way across the road before he was noticed
by his brother-in-law. The latter ordered
him to come back, but as Sillaman did not
obey he started after the insane man. Ellis
meanwhile had secured the trunk and was
waiting for his passengers, whom he sup
posed had gone into the market. After
waiting some minutes he inquired for the
men at the market, and not finding them
there he started for the Retreat with the
trunk, supposing the men had walked up
The street.
In reality Sillaman had headed for the
| river bank and on reaching the edge Of
the water threatened to jump in if hi
brother-in-law came down the embank
ment. Pollard therefore went into the
Beef company's Office and telephoned to
| Chief-of- Police Hall and Sheriff Mcclure.
BY the time the officers arrived on the
scene crowd had gathered, and Charles
Cushman and Robert Trendall were de-
spatched to the island to procure boat
and have it on hand in case il should be
needed.
Chief-of- Police Hall and Deputy Nc
Clure held a council of war in regard 10
the advisability of going down after the
man but it was finally decided to wait I'M
til the boat reached the prohibition side of
the river.
After a seemingly long time, during
which Sillaman amused the spectators by
rolling his eyes and pretending to jump in
to the water, the boat reached the bank
near the scene of action. Cushman stepped
out and cautiously approached Sillaman,
who sided nearer and nearer TO the water s
edge. Suddenly Cushman made a grab at
the wrist of his victim but before he could
secure his hold the man wrenched himself
free and plunged head first into the river.
Cushman and Trendall jumped into the
further end of the boat which had swung
round with the current; Chief Hall, Deputy
Mcclure and few others rushed down the
bank and kept the boat from floating
away, and the crowd on the bank shouted
a variety of directions as TO the how the
rescue should be accomplished
AS the man came to the surface after his
icy plunge Cushman reached for him with
an oar, got hold of his coat collar, and
finally succeeded in pulling him into the
boat. No sooner was he in, however, be
fore he shook off his rescuers and severa
quarts of water, and described beautiful
parabola into the water again. His rescue
the second time was more difficult The
man seemed to be bent on drowning him
} self and kept bobbing his head under watel
in his vain efforts to sink. At last he wal
dragged into the boat by the united efforts
of Cushman and Will Warren. A large ropt
was tied about his waist and the end of i
given in charge of six strong men at the
top of the enbankment. With the aid o.
this Silaman was hoisted into the baggage
! express wagon and after being wrapped IL
a blanket was conveyed to the Retreat.
Pollard was nearly exhausted by the
nervous shock and had to be taken to tn,
Brooks House in charge of a physician.