The Washington times., 1906-07-03
BOY HERO Of l3
RESCUES FRIEND
FROM DROWNING
Similar Act of Bravery
When Young Man Was
Almost Lost.

In the gloom following the river TRACE
dies OF Sunday and Nor day another
deed of Washington's boz hero. Ray
mond Virnstein. temporarily lost sight
of, has come 70 light
Raymond VIrnstein last Sunday after
noon saved a boys life and today is
stretched on a couch suffering from the
results Of his heroic act A white-haired
mother is learning piece meal OF her
sons bravery on Sunday, for, with a
boys disregard Of the glamor Of such
deeds, he merely mentioned the fact 10
her on Sunday, hours after he dragged
Charlie Watson out of the water.
Friend Carried Out by Current
Last Sunday afternoon about o'clock
Raymond Virnstein went down to Car
ter & CIarks wharf southeast, to join a
number or his young friends who were
accustomed TO gather there With sew
eral boys he stood watching a half
dozen others in the water. Among the
number with Raymond was Charlie
Watson. Of 65 n street southeast. The
water looked So good to him that he
r
not deep and splash around for a while.
lie took of his clothes and dived from
the wharf 10 a point where he knew the
water would not come above his head.
but no sooner had he struck the water
than the current caught him and car
Tied him out swiftly The bows on the
wharf saw him spluttering about in the
water, but paid no particular attention
unuI ,til INC olher boys who were in swan
'say, that boy out there's drowing. d"
Jumped in With Clothes On.
No attempt had been made 70 save
the young boys life. although he Was
heard family calling for help. Almost
as soon as the boys shouted 10 those
on the wharf young Vinstein was IN
the water. clothes, shoes and all. He
struck out as hard as his young limbs
would take him and II was only a very
short time before he reached the place
where Watson had gone down. He
swan around and the minute young
Watson appeared e. irnstein grabbed
him by the back Of the neck with his
left hand while with his right ne
struck out for the land. Three times
the two boys went down together. but
ViTnsteln held on To Watson with an
iron grip and when the two were
faeily hauled out OF the water the lit
tie hero was the more exhausted Of the
two When asked how lle gripped him.
youn~ Virnstein said this morning:
Il just grabbed him by the back Of
the neck and pushed him in. We went
down IL seemed 80 re three Or four
times. but I've been under the water
lot of times down there swimming
and playing and a ksEt my breath.
Got my clothes awful vstt, but I stayed
Ia the water till they got dry"
Rescued Man Last Year.
The ltue fellow looks even younger
than his tEirteen years, and one would
never think he had the strength 10 do
such work. But last year just about
this time the little fellow, then only
twelve. plunged into the river and
dragged a young man out OF The water
when every chance for his life seemed
10 have been lost. The man had been
sitting on the wharf fishing, and in
casting his line lost his balance and
tOppled into the water. He could not
swim. and his clothing was fast
weighing him down when this little
mite Of a boy swimmer came skimming
through the water. grabbed hold of the
mans trousers leg and swan 20 shore
with him. For that heroic act the little
fellow never received a word Of thanks
although the fact does not seem TO have
made a deep impression on his mind.
His heTOiSm OF last Sunday is, apPar
emily. 10 this brave little fellow, just
one OF the ordinary events of an Ordi-
nary day Hours after he had made IL
possible for . mother 10 eXult with JOY
rather than collapse in grief for a lost
son, the little fellow returned home and.
in matter of fact way. said:
Gee, I'm tired. Saved a boy this af-
ternOOn.
Indifferent to HerOism.
When pressed for details OF the affair
the y0ungster told of what had hap
pened. but IN the most indifferent way.
and it was only this morning that his
sweet-faced old mother heard the con-
Guiding details of the rescue.
Young Virnsteln IS such a slip Of