The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-06-20
"JOe" Gilligan, Further Handi-
capped with Only One Arm,
ResCues Boys in Pond.
OTHERS STAND BY AS
CRIPPLE PLUNGES IN
Snatches Lads Out of Deaths
Shadow and Will Be RecOm-
mended for Carnegie Award.
Especial to the Evening star.l

MORRISTOWN, June 20.-Joseph
Gilligan, Is years old, legless and with
but one arm, is today the hero of this
community.
While others, strong and physically
whole, stood by too frightened and
dazed to act, young Gilligan hobbled
over fifty yards of rough ground,
plunged heedlessly into the deep pond
in the Morris Plains gravel pit and
after most heroic effort rescued two
younger lads who were drowning.
When Joe Gilligan was years old he
was in a Brooklyn Rapid Transit acci-
dent which cost him one leg at the
knee Nand the other above the knee
The right arm was so badly lacerated
in the accident that it was cut off
near the shoulder, leaving a stump
which Gilligan has learned to use with
deXterity.
For long time Joe GiIligan moved
about in a small wagon, which was
drawn by a goat and when the goat
died Joe's friends volunteered to be
the goat and they have pulled him
about ever since. Despite the loss of
limbs Joe has been the leader of his
coterie OF lads He is popular with
his companions. Recently his parents
supplied him with a pair of artificial
legs, but Joe did not like them. He
was an adept at baseball. sitting in
his wagon when he went to bat and his
teammates pulling him around the
bases in his wagon.
Joe went swimming in the gravel pit
pond late yesterday. After they had
good swim the boys were dressing when
they heard the cries for help from
Alexander Patterson and Augustus
Monahan, each II years old. who had
gone out on the pond in a leaking row.
boat. In changing positions the boat
overturned and the lads went into the
water at the deepest part. Neither
could swim.
Gilligan's companions ceased their
dressing and ran to the edge of the
pond, but they were so bewildered that
they could not nerve themselves to at
tempt the rescue Gilligan, hobbling
over the rough ground to the pond,
plunged in, and with his one arm
swan out to the middle of the pond
The Patterson lad had just come up
from his third descent, and Gilligan
threw the nub of his right arm over
the boys neck and started for the
shore With him, more than fifty yards
away. His one swimming arm made
progress slow, but when he reached
shallow water he yelled to his compan-
ions on the bank to come and get the
lad.
Joe then swan back to the point
where the Monahan boy had gone down
for the third time. He did not wait
to see if he would rise again, but dived
to the bottom of the pond, more than
fifteen feet deep.
1t was a long time before Gilligan
came up. His friends thought that he,
too had been drowned. After what
seemed an interminable time up came
Gillgan with the stub Of his right arm
tightly clasping the neck of the un-
conscious lad.
1--WE got him, all right" shouted
Gilliean with his first breath, and he !
put off to shore with him. He had |
found him on the bottom of the pit, |
almost dead.
Men had arrived by the time the last |
boy had been rescued, and the two |
victims were revived a Rter several |
hours work
The residents of Morristown are MAX |
ing a hero of young Gilligan, and his I
heroic feat will be described in full to
the Carnegie Hero Commission Fund, |
in the hope that the fund will supply
means foro the education and care of
the afflicted youth.