The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-07-10
Youth and Boy in Peril When
She Jumped and Saved Them.
CLOTHES DID NOT WORRY HER
She Sees Nothing Heroic 10 Hight Plunge
Info River 10 Rsscu, Pair From
Certain Dsath

New York. July lO.-Mrs. Thomas Simp-
son. wearing ner. street clothes and not
! even troubling to take off her hat. jumped
into the North river on Monday night
and pulled ashore young man and a
small boy who were drowning When
seen by a reporter yesterday Mrs. Simp-
son would not acknowledge that there
was any herosm in her rescue of the
two boys.
ONLY A LITTLE SWIM SHE SAYS.
"only a little swim around the dock;
what is that?" she said.
William McDermott. IL years old, and
four-year-old John Campbell. Jr.. were
the boys rescued by Mrs. Simpson. Mrs.
Simpson with her husband conducts
bath house on the Hoboken side OF the
river opposite Fifteenth street. The
barge Birmingham has been moored of
there. and Captain Edward Hitler and
his wife, who live on board the barge,
have been entertaining as guests Mrs
John Campbell the wife OF one OF the
officers of the st. Louis. and her small
son, John Campbell. Jr. Mrs. Campbell is
Mrs. Killers niece.
Little John had fondness for playing
on the deck OF the barge while his mother
and aunt were below. He was enjoying
himself In this way when William Nc
Dermott who was working on the deck
heard n splash. McDermbtt immediatel
jumped over the side after the child. who
had fallen in. no one knows how, and
succeeded In getting a firm grasp OF his
clothing. The child struggled fright
fully. and with all his efforts young Nc
Dermott found IL impossible to keep the
boys head out Of water and at the same
time save himself from drifting down
stream He was already exhausted and
had begun 10 drift down toward the Four
teenth street dock. where Mrs. Simpson
saw his struggles from the Fifteenth
street dock
CLOTHES DID NOT WORRY HER.
without waiting to take off her hat.
shoes or any OF her clothes she Jumped
into the water and swan toward the
drowning pair. She swan with strong
stroke unusual in a woman. and she soon
reached McDermott and little Campbell
As she came up to them she grasped
McDermott with her left hand and began
swimming back against the current for
the Fifteenth street dock. McDermott
still held the child fast and Mrs. Simpson
towed her human burden into the pier
without apparent exertion. When the
shore was reached McDermott and Camp
bell were picked out by two sailors from
the brick schooner New York The
younger boy was unconscious and IL was
feared for while that he could not be re-
vived He was taken to the barge and
Dr. Wolff worked over him for an hour
before he was completely resuscitated.
Mrs. Simpson. finding no further need
for her services, went quietly back 10
her own float put on dry clothes and
was soon hard at work at her usual vo-
cation She could not be made TO under
stand yesterday that she had performed
feat unusual even among male swim
mers and almost unprecedented among
women.
Mrs Simpson is a little woman, who at
first glance might not be thought strong.
but she has a fine muscular development.
is as hard as an athlete and has been
an expert swimmer for years. Two years
ago she rescued her husband from drown
ing late at night when he stepped on a
rotten plank which gave way unex-
pectedly and dropped him into the water.