Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-02-07
HEROIC DEEDS OF CHILDREN.
Instances Where They Have Been Nor.
Prompt Than Grown People,

49, Prompt Than Grown People,
Probably the most precocious hero
on record is a tiny boy called Leonard
Webber, aged five years, who several
days ago received a certificate of honor
from the Royal Humane society for
saving from drowning the life of his
little brother, aged three. The chill
dren were playing with some other
boys, when the younger Webber fell
into the water. The others, frightened
by the incident, tool: to their heels,
but Leonard, without the slightest
hesitation, plunged in and rescued his
brother from watery grave. The
youthful hero, who is a bright, intelli-
gent youngster, seemed to think moth
ing of his brave feat, and there can be
little doubt that he is of the stuff
which has gone so far toward building
up the mighty British empire to which
he belongs.
Quite as remarkable was the case
which comes from remote corner of
Russia, where boy Of nine years ac-
tually possessed the temerity to tackle
great gaunt wolf that had assailed a
tiny playmate as the latter lay asleep.
The rescuer seized an axe that chanced
to be lying on the ground, where it
had been left by woodman, and gave
battle to the wolf, who, finding him
self thus attacked, promptly abandoned
his murderous intentions and trotted
off into the wood. So silently was
1.-The splendid deed performed that the
ksleeper slept on through its perform
!. ll.ance and it was only when he awoke
soon afterward that he heard how
narrow an escape he had from ter
rible death.
Russia has, indeed, been the scene
of much youthful heroism. Some
years ago when peasant woman was
sitting with her little daughter, aged
about eight years, at supper, the cur
tains which divided the living room ip
which they sat from the adjoining bed
room caught fire through the explo-
sion of an oil lamp. The mother sat
dumfounded, not knowing what to do,
but her daughter, child as she was,
possessed more presence of mind, for,
seizing knife, she climbed upon q
chair, cut down the blazing curtains
and then smothered the flames with
the hearth rug. In two minutes time
the fire, which might have developed
into veritable confagration, was ex-
tinguished, and the whole business
was carried out by the unaided pluck
of q mite of &. Fortunately she
escaped with nothing worse than sew
eral trivial burns, and her brave con-
duct was the talk OF the village for q
long time afterward.
Even burglars have found them
selves worsted by children little more
than babies, and in Nottingham, not
so very long ago, burly disciple of
Bill Sykes was subdued and captured
by the action of a schoolboy of IL.
The boy slept in tiny room adioin-
ing his fathers apartment, and was
awakened one December night by
sounds OF struggle from the latter
chamber. Without an instant's hesi-
tation the child seized n poker, and,
gliding on tiptoe into the room, found
his father in the grip of a massive
burglar, who was gradually choking
him.
(. Quick as thought the boy hit the
rufian, once, twice and thrice, upon the
head, with the result that he loosened
his grasp on the fathers throat and
fell to the floor, stunned and helpless.
Ten minutes later he was on his way
to the police station, under the guar
! dianship Of two stolwart constables,
and it afterward transpired that he
was a nalefactor long wanted by the
police for series of daring burglar