Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-09-24
Gratitude andLove

When the big White Star liner Bal
tic, from Liverpool, reached her pier
recently an attractive Norwegian WON
an and her two little daughters stepped
from the gangplank into the arms Of
former Sergt. Jack Dempsey Of Co.
H, Fourteenth United States cavalry,
and thereby hangs q tale Of tragedy
inc romance that began on the Pacific
Ocean and only eliminates to-day.
In their little Norwegian home the
two children nestled on their mothers
lap and listened to a mournful recital
Of how their father, Olav Nassjo, a big,
bronzed Norseman, gave his life for
that Of the man whom hencefOrth they
will call father.
On May 20, 1899, the United States
transport Logan cast her lines from
the transport dock in San Francisco
and steamed out through the Golden
Gate, headed for the Philippines, with
the soldiers and officers of the Sixth
infantry, regular army, on board.
They were bound on a mission which
was certain to mean that :nany would
never live to see home again.
Happy and most care-free Of all was
tall, handsome Sergt. Jack Dempsey.
Always ready with story or song, but
never lacking in soldierly obedience,
Sergt. Jack was loved by his comrades
and respected by his superiors.
After the uneventful twenty-siX-day
run to Manila, the ~trenuou days or
regular army life begun. Marched
from one point to another, at one time
serving with his regiment in the Is
lane of Negroes, fifty miles farther
south, transferred from one regiment
to another. and from infanty to cav
airy, Dempsey eventually found him
self back in Manila about the time
that the news of the Boxer outbreak
reached there. Manila being the near
est available point, instructions soon
came from Washington to rush troops
from there to the scene of the disturb
ance. 1t was then that Sergt. Jack
Dempsey found his lot cast on the
United States transport Seward, bound
for the China coast.
1t was when the transport was three
lays out that a fierce storm was en-
countered, which had all the attributes
of one of the dreaded typhoons of that
uncertain locality. Sergt. Dempsey
had been chatting below with some of
his comrades. and when he reac1e- .4le
deck was careless of the pitching and
rolling of the transport in the seethlnS
water which surrounded her. Scurry-
ing across the slantin5 deck in an
effort to avoid a torrent of foamlng
water from a wave which broke over
the vessels bow, Dempsey was dashed
to the lee rail. Fortunately the Sew
ard was almost hove to, having on
only sufficient Roadway to keep her
head on to the battering seas. 1t
was a sea in which the lowering Of a
small boat would have been most haz-
ardous, but even before there was time
to give such an order after the cry,
Mar o~verboard," had rang through
the ship. a rigid form, clad in blue,
shot from the bridge and parted the
waters within a few strokes Of the
struggling sergeant.
Wheel Quartermaster Olav NasSjo,
stationed on the bridge, had seen
Dempsey swept from the deck. He
stoned not an instant, but hurled
himself to the rescue. 1t was the act
OIL d uCiO, u IcbJ AS'NA 49,
to receive the idolatry Of his ship
mates. He accomplished the work of
rescue but sacrificed his own life in
the performance of the task.
AS the young sailors powerful arms
cleft the water during a moments
calm in the lee of the ship, and his
hands clutched the clothing Of the
gurgling, exhausted man, a line shot
from the ships rail and was quickly
passed around the body of the half
drowned soldier by Nassjo, who. still
careless of his own safety, shouted
to those on deck to haul away
While the inanimate form of Demp-
sew was being dragged up the side of
the ship, Nassjo struck out in his
wake. He was almost within reaching
distance of another line which was al
ready dangling over the side, when a
rolling sea broke over him and dashed
him with terrific force against the
steel hull of the transcSSt. His awe
struck mates gathered at the rail
could hear the sickening crash as the
Door fellows skull struck the metal,
and watched with horror the deep red
coIoring of the surface as the gallant
hero sank. Following the inviolable
rule of he sea. the transport was owe
to the locality, but the watch kept at
the rail by the entire ships company
was of no avail-the grading waves
had claimed their shipmate for his
last, long sleep. After the end of the
dreary watch, during which Sergt.
Dempsey had been resuscitated. 1t was
apparent to all that a life had been
given for a life, and the ship headed
again in the direction Of Tientsin.
During the remainder of the passage
Sergt. Dempsey was kept to his berth
below. Illness followed his being
snatched from a watery grave and this
was accentuated by grief over the ca
tastrophe, so that when the coast was
reached the regimental surgeon or
dered that Dempsey be sent to the
Japanese general hospital at Nagasaki.
The days that Sergt. Jack was lying
on his back on the hospital cot were
spent in moody reflection, but before
he again started for the front, sound
enough physically, he had formed .