The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-05-11

Enjoy Fund of $2,O0O Do
 mated for Her Education.
 Who has not yearned to be a hero? To plunge into the raging waters of a tive, and how difficult in fact. To deseSnd into the choking gases of a mine; to plunge into the fiery reces- ses of building in flames; these are tasks that delight the imagination but daunt the heart They are also tasks to which in these modern times few are called and fewer chosen, as is shown by the last report of the Car nesie Hero Fund Commission, which has investigated, from its inception to Jan. 31, 1909, 3,219 acts of bravery, of which but 246 have been found of such a character that the heroes were deem ed worthy of the medal of the com mission.
 In the list of these awards 1t ap- pears that Connecticut has it's share of brave ones. George F. Russell was the first Connecticut hero recognized by the commission. July 29, 1904, Rus sell jumped from a launch. into Long Island Sound, and with two boys, 12 and IA years. clinging to him swam to their capsized boat. Russell was then aged 24 He was a ship filter. The bronze medal was apportioned to him. And the next Connecticut hero was not a hero at all, but a heroine to wit, Therese s. McNally, aged 13 years, who on June 16, 1904 saved Loretta Merwin, aged four, from drowning, in Long Is- land Sound at Woodmont The res cue was eighty feet from shore. The little girl swamn 30 feet in eight feet of water to reach the child. Miss Me Nally was awarded bronbe medal and $2,o00 for educational purposes.
 Also a holder of the bronze medal of the commission is Thomas B. Book with, aged 19, who saved Harold c. Ashborn, aged nine, from drowning in Waterbury, Conn.,, Jan- l. 1906. Bock- with dived into a, hole in Forest Lake and supported Ashborn in the icy wa ters ten minutes until they were as- sisted onto firm ice.
 Gustave Wohl. aged 32, holds a sil- yer medal Wohl is a gunsmith. Dec. 28, 19O5 he saved Clement R. Donahue, aged eight, from drowning in Park river. Breaking the ice before him and swimming against the current, he reached Donahue, 60 feet from shore, and swam back with him.
 That heroism does not arise entirely from the impulsive temperament of youth is shown by the case of John Morris, of Hartford, aged 60. He was gate tender at a railroad crossing. Seeing that woman was about to be struck by a fast approaching train, Morris left his post of duty, ran in front of the train and pushed the wo- man from the track. but in so doing was struck and instantly killed A silver medal was awarded and his wid- ow received a pension of $480 a year until she dies or remarried.
 It will be seen that the penalty of heroisrn is not infrequently- death, if one scrutinizes the list of 246 wards.
 Carlton H. Funck, a pressman, aged 30. died attempting to save Jennie B. Bechstedt, aged IS from drowning in Glastonbury. July T, 1907. Funck necticut river, to Miss Bechstedt, who had become distressed willie bathing. After swimming a, few strokes with her she grasped him around the body, rendering him helpless, and both were drowned. A silver medal and $25 a month was voted to his widow during her life or until she remarries, with five dollars month additional for each of three children until each reaches the age of Is years.
 Nor is heroism in Connecticut more the property Of white people than 1t is of age or youth, or man or woman. teamster, sustained fatal injuries res- cuing Charles G. Campbell, AS, Presi- dent American Painting and Decorat- ing Company, and Charles A. Whip pie, AS. superintendent of building con- struction, from runaway in Groton, June 8, 1906 Grant grasped the bri- dle of one of the horses, and finding himself unable to control the other horse, because his bridle was off, he threw the one he had hold of and was kicked on the neck and run over by the vehicle. He died the second day after. His wife received the silver med al and $25 a month for life> or until she remarries, and $5 a month for each of her four minor children until each is sixteen.
 Sometimes heroes arrive in groups. Such was the case when John W. Smith, 5. master of the schooner "El- sie," with volunteer crew of seven men, rescued eight passengers from the steamer Larchmont, off Block Isl- and, Feb. 21, 1907. With the thermom- eter registering two degrees, the wind blowing 35 miles an hour, and the waves running 20 feet high, the Elsie. sixty foot boat, was taken five miles to sea to a raft on which were 15 bod ies. Seven of the castaways were found to have frozen to death. The living were transferred to the schooner by the crew in 12 foot dories. Smith I and his crew of seven received each a gold medal, and were awarded sums ranging from $1,000 to $4,o00. These were not Connecticut heroes, but l Rhode Island heroes. The reward that they received, ranks, in a pecuniary sense, with the largest the commission | has made.
 E. H. Dillon & Co.,