The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-06-02

constructions Ielce@sa posts Wsfs
old, and some Of them rotten. ThongN
johnson stwit tched and Jerked TO loose
himself, freedom would have been the
freedom Of death and the wire and
The post next to his foot held securely.
5It was agonizing to hang there, but
was not dea til. Still. !. flesh and blood
could not have held out much longer
and discovery and the d dificult rescue
came not minute too soon. 81
Below the if were quarries, skirted
on the outer edge 3by the Iron Noun
tain Railroad. Beyond the tracks
rushes the sWol1en ssissippi john
son, who canarememb bers ii tile sof how
sIhe into bis 81 been
s#in the count before
1ooking for tso 6 ft, fes
used up his small store of money ins
rum ,sand then started to walk back to-
J the city 1. He had been sick and early
{. in the evening he lay down in the rain:
upon a pile Of boards nearSa house, that
stands on the top Of the b luffff. Finally
z::he got III, q and Iurch he'd along uncon-:55
.scious OF the awning Schasm only a
few rods away. sudd denly his foot
caught in a barbed wire that close
I to the ground and he was flung head. I.
long. It happened to be loop that.
{ tripped him, and he fell ver the ge;a
the wire twisted his body around SO
4 that his back was against the cliff.
z The wire tightened about his ankle.
and then sagged q he shock Of the
fall sobered him partly. and he twisted
and turned to get loose. His finger.
tips could just touch a ledge Of rock
but he could grasp nothing, though he
could relieve the weight Of his body:
/. somewhat. He could not see in the
.murky night, but below he could hear
the swishing Of the river. )Z5@5 $ &.
The granite cutters in the quarry
come to work at s o'cl lock in the morn
ing, and q little before that hour Her
man spiecker the first y OF the;
force, entered the quarry and went to,
|. shed to put on his working clothes.
He happened to- hook up, and could
hardly believe his eyes when he saw.
"a man hanging head down from the.
5face5of the Seli If away above. He ran
ito the Office Of the boss and breathless-.
ly told the men there what he had had
seen. They tsleph honed to- the fire de:
#partment for a hook and ladder truck
and toya hospital for an amb,l b,llance. In
the meantime q gang OF worknlen h'1r- b 2:
5ried to the spot and stretched az tar
paulin under the swinging form, SO
that If the man should drop he might
not be dashed to death on the jagged
rocks. 81. Other men bound led up IA road
that led tosstheS topso the cliff wing
face down on the edge and peering;
over they could see the sWaying body.
held in the loop Of wire. None Of them
dared try to- pull the man by the
wire, for fear that Vould slip OF
the foot IN the meantime the fire.
men and the am ulance had come into
the quarry, and Wi ID them a crowd of
men from the city Advice was plenty,
but deeds were few 'The firemen took
I out their longest der and carried
from ledge teSs Hedge 1tp iisff
/ until the top round was Wit thin reach q
i Johnson He griipped dess
Operation, though blood syvollen
hands had little lite inI sA are
man mounting The ladder fastene to
the negro legs hat had been
lowered from the top soff the lad
slowly and careful ohnson vas "a
pulled sSs,
The head was distorted to abnormal lsl
i size by the tremend dous pressure lot sot
4 blood the as of the eyes were dis
tended ind necked neg reg
spots tae lips were 1lfttled te nllsslal