The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-30
JUMPED FROM TOP
OF PECOS BRIDGE
a Story of the Biggest Fool in West
ern Texas.
A LOVE THAT HAD WINGS.
Took Words Spoken as Jest in Dead
Earnest, and Plunged Incredsssa
Distance To Prove His Asse
for Il Fair Ma,uen.
A LOVE THAT HAD WINGS.

| western 1exas, Is very nearly the loftiesI
structure of the kind in the world 4 few
days ago this PecoS bridge was the scene
OF one of the most remarkable occurrences
| ever witnessed.
Miss Lena Riners. the only daughter o.
prosperous ranch-owner and cattleman
in the Rio Grande Valley, is one of the
| prettest girls in Western Texas and has
many admirers. Among the young men
| who were attracted by the beauty and
many accomplishments of this very lively
| Texas girl none was more earnest, and
persistent in presenting his suit than
| Fred ~ Darmon, who is a very respect
| aole COWBOY of the western pIuins- on last
| Sunday some fifteen or twenty young men
| and young girls. the sons and daughters
OF ranchers in the neighborhood. went 10
the Peces river bridge for the purpose o.
enjoying picnic Among the gay crowd
We're Lena Riners and several OF her adj
| mirers- The young girl on this occsl-
sion was in one of her happiest moods and
| especially attractive. Fred. a. Darmon
| had failed to secure the enviable favor
| of escorting the young lady to the picnic
| grounds, bur he kept close enough to her
to annoy more fortunate rival aGd it was
| not long before he found an opportunity
| to press his suit Miss Riners herself.
| with great earnestness and without re-
| serve tells how it MI happened. for she
| has not yet recovered from her fright.
| ALL \ JOKE.
II was in the utmost terror" she says
| "for a long time after the dreadful oc-
| currence, for fear that Fred. had suffered
| some fatal injury. IF he had been Killed
| know that L never could have recovered
| from the shock, for my conscience would
| have accused me of hnving been the cause
| Of his death It was all brought abous
| by a jest. I loved Fred-loved him well
enough to marry hin-but it had not &C.
CURED to that the proper moment had
arrived for me to admit the fact to him
He was so awfuIly persistent, and his love
making was always accompanied by such
a woe-begone look that somehow I fool
ishly enjoyed his great perturbation. Fred.
and I strayed away from the crowd. anu
while 1 was asking questions about the
great bridge he was constantly annoying
me with the earnest protestations of his
passion. Finally, in a playful fit of mock
anger, said: ON, Fred, can't you talk
about something else? You boys are all
alike. You like the same old story to
tell. Why don't you do something to
prove all this stuff YOU are continually
talking about
What shall 1 do?' he asked I re-
piled: 'Oh. don't know. There are no
lions to kill Go to war or jump off that
bridge up there
Il well remember now how he looked
time, when he said Lena. would you
marry me if L were to jump off that
BRIDGE I unthnkingr answered: OF
course I would At that moment our
chnperone called us to come to camp. and
I thought no more of the matter until we
missed Fred. Upon Look ns around one
OF our party exclaimed: Why. yonder is
Fred up on the bridget A premonition
of something terrible ct once arose in my
mind and [ felt q choking sensation IN
my throat.
PLUNGED HEADLoNG-
..A1l eyes We're at once turned toward
the dizzy heights OF the bridge, and you
can imagine our feelings when we saw
Fred throw off his coat and hat and
! step up on the railing. I saw him wav-
| ing his hands and throwing kisses toward
| u= and I barely caught Il glimpse of his
| form as he plunged headiong through the
| air. Ny eyes closed in terror and fell
! upon the earth senseess.'
| Another member Of the party. John Ad-
| Olson. who Was present. tells the remain
| der of the story. He says: II saw OAR
| mon jump from the bridge. I supposed
| that he had suddenly become insane and
! stood paralyzed with terror. Standing
| on the railing more than 100 yards above
| the, water, he looked like a boy two or
| three years DID, In descending through the
| air his body appeared to double up and
| for a second or more assume the shape
| Of a ball.
| LAS he neared the water Of the Pecos
| he straigfltened out and descended head
| foremost with the pains OF his hands to-
| cetsler in front of his head, after the man
| ner OF an accomplished diver. l ran to-
| ward the bank of the river, which was
| only a few steps away, and reached the
| brink of the stream just in time TO see
| the desperate boy disappear beneath the
l ,t.,l,- c.s-t
| WINS dead and I supposed that his body
+! would be simply a. limp mass OF bruised
| flesh and broken bones
| '.,rhe river at that place is about seven
| ty-fve yards wide and from twenty 10
| forty feet in depth. While 1 was hur-
| riedly throwing off my coat and shoes, TO
! nv utter amusement my friend popped uT
| out OF the water. and p!unseea INTO ths
| stream. hoping to rescue him II possible
! A long Jump and two or three strokes
| nroueht me to his side just in time to
cr..sp his hair as he begun to sink An
| other young man came to my assistance
| and we easily dragged the body to the
| shore
SOON REVIVED
| "ue WIS apparently lifeless, but we all
! fell to rubbing him, and aLter a rev
| minutes, tie gasped for 0Fedta- IN ttl7
course, of some twenty-five or thirty min
mos he opeued MS eyes and began 10
mutter something Ebout Miss Lena RIM
ers. The loye-stck scamp had spoiled our
nicntc- and beng mad enough a1 hllli 10
| have rhrasred him. walked away 9o!ne
t people" added Mr. Addison, With a laugh.
ARE talking of giving Fred, ar m es btr l6r
9t,.aT IN he world. but I think he ought
| a to hnvs button for being the biggest
! fool in western Texas
The two lovers recovered their senses
- he same time and there was
little scene that brought about perfect
understanding between them, M Miss ss Riners
s,1r,~ised when she found herself able TO
SIT ~ and WIS told that Fred was alive
and roh1rt. ..Hc must nave wings.
shs said. TIE foolish lover was as per-
ssstent as ever though he was hardly able
10 move When his sweetheart bent over
t,tr, his first words Were: viii you mar
- me now. I.ena?" Everybody heard the
ranlv- Eyes, am ready to marry you at
INV moment. but. Fred am afraid that
E,.oi, are crazy" He was not at all crazy.
nj he's that he