New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-24
Readers of he Tribune Are Invited to Send in
Their Experiencss Along This Line

climb anything, but I noticed that he could
barely negotiate a certain steep stretch,
which oyerhung canyon 1000 feet Deep
When had ridden up this stretch and seen
what Il meant for my horse I advised my
companion, who was below, to dismount
and lead his animal. He did so. While
/ was watching them his horse slipped.
gave 4 neighing shrek OF fear, struggled
for an instant on the brink of the preci-
pice and then went tumbling head over
heels below. That horse started to fall
about half a mile, but his body was cadght
by three trees which grew together 800 feet
below the trail. My companion was too
unnerved to be able to go after him TO
see whether he was alive or dead, go I
went down. ! found the horse practically
unhurt, and led him back TO the trail with
q good deal OF trouble. But the animal was
ruined for hunting or anything else by that
experience; II took the nerve out Of him,
just as II would take the nerve out Of a
man. He became afraid Of everything
United States Marshal Henkel. who has
arrested thousands OF counterfeiters. SNUG
glers. mail robbers and white slsvers'' IN
the last dozen years, recalls only one mar
row escape IN all his career. He has al
ways looked for trouble. watching his
prisoners with an eagle eye. but only once
came near finding It, This happened when
a desperate escaped convict from the Ohio
Penitentiary, who had tried to kill police
man, had been captured here and was TO
be shipped back TO Ohio. The man was in
the iron barred strong room" in the Post
office Building with Marshal Henkel and
a deputy, having just been brought there
from court.
The deputy was in the act OF putting a
pair Of handouts on the prisoner. Mar
shall Henkel's ever vigiIant eye caught the
convict on the verge Of slipping his wrist
aside and leaping back. The marshal
leaped first seized the mans arm and
snapped the cuff tight. 'In another sec
ond." snarled the desperate. with g. fero-
cinus oath. "onesof you fellows would have
had his brains out" He was wild beast,
who would have killed without compunc-
ticn.
Warren W. Foster, the senior judge OF
the Court Of General Sessions is an invet-
crate traveller. and has had many narrow
escapes. He has roamed all over the world.
Judge Foster contributed the following pair
Of hazardous experiences:
zone night left my yacht. the Affair, a
40footer, at Martha's Vineyard and took
a steamer TO Providence TO come 10 New
ASAhs bOoA QC0 Tic CUuiicCLllE IAlu, ana,
desiring to send telegram ahead, was told
that I would have plenty OF time to do SO
at a small station where we would stop. I
got of at this station, sent my wire and
rushed back to the platform, to find my
train in rapid motion. II was about p. m,
very dark and slippery under foot. I knew
1t was dangerous to try to catch that train,
but my luggage was aboard, I had a
through ticket. and I had made important
engagements in New York. So 1 raced
alongside the train IN tho darkness and
made leap for one OF the car steps.
graspe6 a rail, but fell. Ny feet slipped
and I was dragged along the platform,
hanging on by my arms. The Jerk on my
arms was frightful. II my muscles HAD
not been hardened by handling ropes aboard
my yacht my hold would have been broken
and ! would have been ground under the |
wheels. But held on. and by main force |
pulled myself up to safety. The shock and |
the strain OF that experience affected me |
for a considerable time. Incidentally, It |
gave me new and. think. rather correct |
understanding OF the doctrine OF contribu-
tory negligence. mean that I was not |
negligent in this case, although deliber-
ately put myself in peril, for I had expect |
ed the train to wait for me, on the assur- |
ance OF the conductor, and it was highly |
important for me to catch that train.