The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-09-29
Heroic Act Of Fourteen Years
Ago Is Rewarded
SAVES LIFE ON THE RIVER
Mr.. Dickinson's Act Goes Unrewarded
for a Long Time, But United
States Government Makes
Medal for Him.

Washington, September 2S-An almost
forgotten incident in which the present
secretary of war, Jacob NJ Dickinson,
herocally rescued James r. Joy, a De-
troit lawyer, from the Detroit river IA
years ago, was recalled today when a
handsome solid gold medal suspended
from a ribbon held In the beak of an
American eagle, was presented to Mr..
Dickinson on behalf of the United States
government. The medal, approved by
President Taft before his departure on
his trip. and commemorating the cour-
age of the war secretary in saving the
life of a fellow man, was presented by
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Hilles
I'm testimony of heroic deeds in saving
lives" read the inscription on the medal,
which also bore laurel wreath held
aloft by q woman. Touched deeply by
the unexpected recognition of his act,
the Secretary of War. with characteristic
modesty, merely said: 81 did not have
much time to consider what was best to
be done when JOY fell into the river, and
if l had / might have done what Rip
Van Wrinkle told his wife, Gretchen, he
would do in case she fell into the water,
Go home and think 1t over. " He added
that he did not know he had done any
thing remarkable.
On August a. 1895, the American Bar
associa ton, then in session at Detroit
| was entertained at st. Clair Flats The
! guests were conveyed there in steam
! yachts. Judge Dickinson, Charles II.
| Campbell, =. %. LoYeland and others were
entertained ON the steam Yacht Truant
owned by Truman H. Newberry, who sub
sequently became Secretary of the Navy
\ The Truant returned to Detroit at
| O'Clock that night
1t was very dark. and because OF
! piling at the outer edge of the railroad
wharf the yacht lay several feet out
! from the dock. A small landing plank
was put out and in attempting to cross
| 1t James A. JOY. the oldest member of
| the Detroit bar, whose eye sight was
defective. fell overheard. The plank
was six feet above water which At
that point was 20 feet deep. Judge
Dickinson plunged into the water and
rescued Joy. There were jagged,
broken piles at that point, some hidden
beneath the current, but both men for
tunately reached the dock unharmed.
Close by on the other yachts at the
time were Judge Taft, now President.
Associate justices Brewer and Brown
of the supreme court of the United
State and other persons of prominence.
The heroic act of the present war
secretary went unrewarded until last
May wh cn President Thomas Fl. Hern-
don of the American Cross of Honor.
applied to the secretary of the treasury
for the award of life saving medal to
Mr.. Dickinson to commemorate his
heroic daring" On June 25, last q
committee consisting of the solicitor
of the treasury, the superintendent of
the live service and the captain COM
mandant of the revenue cutter servite
unanimously voted to award a medal
of the first class (gold) to Mr. Dick
inson.
Without effort at oratory or any
ceremony whatever Assistant Secre-
tary Hilles today presented the medal
to Mr.. Dickinson at the latter's office.
He merely handed the secretary a
morocco case containing the medal and
informally told him of the action of
the board. Mr. Dickinson thanked Mr..
IIilles for bringing it over" as he ex-
pressed it.