Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-08-16
FORTESCUE IS A MAN OF MIGHT
College Tales of the Lieutenant Who
Stopped a Runaway in New York.

The soldier who left the young woman
he was escorting and stopped the Rev
DR.. Houghton's runaway cab horse in
Fifth avenue Wednesday afternoon is
better known to New York as "Rolly'
Fortescue. perhaps, than as First Lieu
tenant Granville Roland Fortescue of
the Fourth cavalry. He is a grandson
of Robert B. Roosevelt, uncle of the
president. The pluck and strength he
exhibited when the horse was dragging
him about on the pavement have been
shown before on college campus, on
foot ball field and in the army in Cuba
and the Philippines. Lieutenant For
tescue came East on furlough short
time ago to attend the Roosevelt fam
lily reunion which Robert B. Roosevelt
brought about at his country place at
Sayville, L. ].
"Rolly" Fortescue is thick set, but de-
ceptively short and does not give out
ward signs of his remarka BILE strength.
He is now about % years old. When
he went to Yale the feeling against
hazing was very high. A Texas youth
of his class had made himself obnox-
iouS to his fellows to such an extent
that it was decided that nothing but a
hazing would acclimate him. The class
leaders conferred and agreed that the
Texan ought to be hazed and "Rolly'
volunteered to do it alone and in his
own way. That night when the Texan
was asleep FortesCue went to his room
armed with an old horse pistol which
had been loaded up with a lot of junk
calculated to increase the sound of the
gun powder. He stood at the foot of
the Texans bed and emptied the pistol
,,,tN -
out of bed in supreme terror and was
marched in his night clothes around
the campus while Yale looked on.
The faculty took up the case. For
tescue admitted his guilt and that end
ed hi- career at Yale. His stepfather
never offered word of criticism, say
ing he was glad that "Rolly' had own
ed up. Fortescue then prepared for the
University of Pennsylvania. He was
anxious above all to play foot ball, and
before the time came for him to enter
Pennsylvania he began to train himself
to make the team.
In the woods on the Roosevelt place
at Sayville he fitted up tackling APP
paratus. 1t consisted of a railroad tie
hung from the limb of a tree so that it
ad the ground The tie was
padded with leather. Here Fortescue
worked violently every day, tackling
the tie until he was black and blue and
the woods echoed with his snorts and
sounds of struggle.
Then this ball of muscles went to COL
lege. When the coach called for volun-
teers for the team he stepped out on
the field. Among the giants of that
year he was almost lost, and the
coach, singing him out, told him he
wouldn't do.
i Not big enough" said the coach.
wouldn't do for a tackle
Yes, 1 would" insisted Fortescue.
What could you tackle?" asked the
coach in amusement
We'll, L might tackle you," said For
! tescue.
In the scrub lineup that afternoon
Fortescue tackled the coach and threw
him with such force that he was laid
up for three days. While the coach
was nursing his bumps he changed his
mind about Fortescue's unavaila bility
and Fortescue got on the team.
| He did not stay to be graduated from
| Pennsylvania. War had broken out in
| Cuba and he left college hastily and
| Joined the CubdnS. After short eX-
perience there he came back to America
| and on May D. 1898, was appointed cor
poral of Troop B, First United States
volunteer cavalry the Rough Ri
| ders'O. He was mustered out on Sep
| TENDER Is, 1898. He still hankered for
/ fighting and on July 5, 1899. was ap-
pointed first lieutenant of the Twenty
sixth volunteer infantry. He went to
the Philippines, serving with his regi-
! ment until March Is, 1901. He joined
the regular army on October 26, 1901 as
second lieutenant of the Fourth cav
airy. He has just been promoted to
| first lieutenant after year of study at
| Fort Leavenworth and will, at the ex-
piration of his furlough, rejoin his regi-
| ment
| Lieutenant Fortescue is d born horse
man. and in the cavalry has demon
strated his control over high tempered
animals. His fellow officers say that
on horseback he makes a striking mil
itary figure.
Did you ever see Phil Sheridan -
| asked an old gentleman who has
watched Fortescue grow up from child
hood. The boys the living picture of
| m''-New York Sun.