The Irish standard., 1907-07-06
AS A LIFE SAVER
Prof. Conroy of Boston Has
Saved Twenty-One Persons
From Drowing During a Period
Of Seven Years.


congressional medals. awarded by Con-
gress for heroic action in saving life,
has come to Boston, Mass. and it's
possessor is Prof John Conroy. who
lives at 4sS Broadway. South Boston
The few rescues that he is able to
recall without consulting his records
have taken place since 1900. The first
was that of Francis Desmond, years
old. who was in bathing June %, 1900.
when he suddenly sank in the chan
mel. Prof. Conroy saw the accident
and, though some distance away swan
with all speed to the place and dove
to the bottom. He secured the lad.
and then swan to the shore with him.
Desmond was soon revived and sent
to his home. The following day Fred
experienced a similar accident. but
was promptly dragged from the bot
tom by Conroy and soon revived
June 2s. 1901. Prof. Conroy, after Il
long swim, secured young man who
was drowning and after much diff
Guilty brought him to the beach. He
proved to be Ernest Beck, Is years
old of Is Newburn street Jamaica
Plain. July 5. 1901, William Pierson.
10 years old. was swimming some dis
tance off the beach, when he suddenly
sank. Conroy was notified, and. has
tening to the spot where the young
man was last seen. he dove to the
bottom several times, and finally
brought Pierson to the surface, and
swan with him to the beach His ef-
forts We're unrewarded, however. for
though he secured the body, life had
fled
A few days later Conroy with the
assistance of John T. Burke saved
four lives. Four men were rowing in
Three of the men could swim a little,
but were exhausted when Burke, with
boat, reached their locality. Conroy
plunged over and succeeded in getting
the three men to the boat. and they
We're hauled in by Burke. conroy had
swan for the fourth one in the mean
time. This man, MacQueeney, had
gone down several times before Con-
roy reached him. but was finally Sc
cured and brought to the shore in
safety.
One of Conroy's most difficult res
20, when he took from the water a
German named Jago. weighing about
21O pounds The mans weight.
coupled with the struggle that he
made, made the rescue particularly
difficult and hazardous. and Conroy
was we'll nigh exhausted himself when
he reached the beach. An unknown
boy, IL years old, was rescued from
the channel June %, 1902. On Aug.
of that year Mark Ellis. IA years old,
of 9s Savin street. Roxbury. was
seized with cramps and sank AL
though more than fifty yards away at
the time, Conroy ran along the beach
and. plunging into the water. swan
to the spot where the boy had disap-
peared. He was compelled to go to
the bottom twice before he located the
lad. and. bringing him to the surface
swan with him to the shore. With
the assistance of others they worked
over the boy more than half an hour
before he was restored to conscious
ness.
A few days later, Aug. 81. Conroy
rescued an unknown man from drown
ing at the public baths. June "a. 1903.
Professor Conroy had an exciting ex-
perience with two boys who were
swimming One lad sank in the chan
nel and his companion went to his
assistance, but was not strong enough
to cope with the drowning boy and
was pulled under ny him. Both we're
struggling for .jfe when Conroy
reached them, and after much effort
and difflculty he brought both to the
beach safely.
July 4, 1903. Pref. Conroy went to
the assistance of drowning man. On
reaching the man he found that he
was intoxicated, and he had a thrilling
and dangerous battle with him before
he reached the beach, being almost ex-
hausted himself. July 10. 1908, an un-
known young man, 1s years old, living
In Roxbury, was rescued. and Aug. 12
another man was saved from drown
ing after a struggle. A few days later
Edward Kelley, years old, was res
cued after he had sunk for the last
time, and it required much effort to
revive him after he was brought to
the beach.
While swimming June 30, 1905
Frank Murphy. 13 years old of 49s
i ai<>..