New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-24
WATER AND EXPLOSIVE.

"<AAA4e AMI 6A6LOOlfd.
Early the following spring got word
that old man Henderson was living In a
shanty on the banks Of the Allegheny
River In Venango County. I hustled to get
TO the place. There was no time to take
any one with me, although I would have
been justified In waiting for assistance
when the capture Of such desperate char
acter was involved. II was afternoon when
set out with horse and buggy. After a
drive OF several miles. darkness had fallen
when located the shanty by a light
twinkling In 1t. But the shanty was across
the river. had come up on the wrong side
OF the Allegheny. 1t was problem now to
get TO my man. Between us lay two strips
OF Ice along the banks Of the river and
one hundred foot channel of swift flowing
water in the centre. I hitched I'D nv
horse. reconnoitred the shore and found a
boat moored at the edge OF the Ice It had
long rope attached, with which I hauled
It in near enough to get safely aboard I
rowed across the channel. Here is where
my peril came. Tie ice bordering the chan
mel was thin. How could 1 cross it 10 make
the other shore? 1 took a big chance.
jumped on the ice and ran for my life
There was fearful cracking in my wake
felt the ice yield, and every moment ex-
pected to go under. If had gone down I
would not be telling the story now. could
not have saved myself; the swift current
would have carried me away. At last I
reached the shore. Revolver in hand, 1 ran
TO the counterfeiters shanty. 1t did not
take me long TO learn that Henderson was
not inside. Afterward found out from his
wife that my peril on the ice would have
been capped by as great a danger OF being
blown up by nitroglycerine at the shauty
~
vowed to blow me up. and kept bottle OF
the explosive just for this purpose. He
was never captured"
Public Service Commissioner Eustis said
Narrow escapes are quite in my line.
have had plenty OF them all my life. I en-
listed in the Union cavalry In the last year
OF the Civil War when I was a boy OF sew
enteen. drew big, rawboned black horse
as my mount. We were going to take a
transport near Washington. I was riding
my horse to drink on the way TO the trans
port. when the saddle turned and / went
right under the animals belly. fastened
there by my saddle and stirrups. The brute
began to kick inward and outward. felt
the wind OF his hoofs against both ears. II
the hoofs had landed on my skull. they
would have made jelly OF the contents. I
did get hit on the legs and was finally
kicked loose. However, / sustained no seri-
Gus injury. picked myself up secured the
horse and boarded the transport.
Five years ago had another horse &C
cident. being thrown while riding. cutting
my head on curbstone developing blood
poisoning and erysipelas. and being Laid up
In bed for three weeks. About ten years
ago l was using an axe in the country.
when I cut myself with It on the shin and |
developed an unpleasant case OF blood poi
soning In 1877 I was rowing In four
cared she'll in the Metropolitan regatta on |
the XIII van Kull. and was run down by a
steamboat, which wrecked the shell and |
drew all of us under the paddle-wheels 1t (
seemed an age that was under water. I |
came up. hitting the bottom OF the steamer !
with my head. Then I pushed out and rose
TO the surface. One OF my companions was |
gashed on the forehead by a paddIe-wheeI |
and came closer to death than did"
Inspector McCafrerty. head OF the New
York detective bureau. thought the follow
ling odd experience was the most perilous |
of his career:
lin November. 1880. I was doing patrol |
duty ON First avenue, between saith and 1
AID streets, and the cross streets toward /
the nearby. East River. There were bad /
gangs around there and I had dubbed them /
and arrested them. 50 I had their fun en-
nifty. One raw. cold morning. at O'Clock,
! stood close behind malthouse at sSeh |
street and First avenue. 1 had been on
extra duty under the two-p platoon system,
the long day tour and had also been as
signed L. two fires when l should have
been resting, so that l had hardly slept
for forty-eisht hours. I was exhausted.
scarcely conscious. The first
thing ] knew 1 wac seized nom behind,