Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-05
Jumps FROM PIER
TO END Her WOES
YOUNG WOMAN'S ATTEMPT AT
SUICIDE FAILS
Pete oreb After Desperate Struggle
Rescues Resident of Los An
geles Who Refuses to
Give Her Name
observation-disclosures All; Sunset 1851.
rrespondent-Sunset 4126; Home 1895.
Especial to The Herald

SANTA MONICA, oct. A spec
tacular but unsuccessful attempt to
commit suicide by jumping into the
surf from a pier was made this after
noon by Los Angeles young woman
who refused to give her name That
her efforts failed was due to heroic
rescue by Pete Oreb, % years old, son
of Frank Oreb, partner of e. l.. Bar
nard in the operation of a big chill
pepper ranch at Sawtelle. Oreb, who
was fishing on the concrete municipal
pier, made a quick dash when he saw
the woman in the water and plunged
into the breakers barely in time to
bring the woman out alive. An am
bulance removed the half-drowned
woman to the Santa Monica Bay hos
pital. She suffered no ill effects from
her rash act other than swallowing a
large quantity of water.
The woman's act was undoubtedly
premeditated, as was proved by her
actions previous to jumping into the
sea. About 3 o'clock this afternoon she
walked out, unnoticed, on to the old
Jones pier back of the Edison electric
power plant and about 300 feet north
of the municipal pier. There she re-
moved her hat, coat and purse, laid
them on the floor of the pier and
ledDGu
point, because of the extremely high
tide prevailing, were very heavy. Sew
eral fishermen on the concrete pier
saw her make the jump. She prob
ably regretted her act then, as she is
said to have screamed Justify when
she struck the water.
Oreb was on the big wharf about
$50 yards from shore when his COM
panion, Tony Reyes, a Mexican, told
him to "come on" and started to run
for the shore. Oreb at a glance saw
what was wrong and in a very short
time he was on the beach and sprang
into the surf alone without even re-
moving his hat. After a severe strug-
gle with the waves he reached the
drowning woman and got her out with
difficulty. She was carried to the
power house and resuscitated, later
being taken to the hospital.
Gives Trouble as Cause
When asked why she made the at
tempt on her life, the woman shook
her head and replied trouble" She
said she is married and lives at Los
Angeles, but beyond that she refused
to talk. She appeared to be discon-
solate because her plans failed.
The woman is a brunette, rather
good looking and weighs about 140
or 35 years old. She wears wedding
ring. When she made the leap into
the water she wore a white shirtwaist
and dark brown plaid skirt. Her coat
was black. as was also her hat. None
of those who saw the woman could
give any clew to her identity.
Oreb is a good swimmer, having
been a member of the old Lurline club
of San Francisco, where he has lived
for several years. He IS an employe
of the wholesale liquor house of Kuhl
& Schwarke of that city and is here
on a visit to his father.
'I saved another woman who tried
to commit suicide at San Francisco
four years ago, and my, how she
cursed me-" said Oreb after the rescue
today.
II had a hard time in getting this
woman out today. 1 thought for a
minute or two I would go down with
her, as the undertow was very strong,
and she seemed to weigh a ton. There
were twenty-five or thirty men on the
beach watching me trying to get her
out, but not one of them offered TO
help. although several wore bathing
suits. They might have known that 1
was in no condition to hold out long,
as l had to run so far to get here"
Oreb seemed to think no more of ms
brave recovery of the unfortunate
woman than he would of catching a
good sized fish. He unconcernedly
picked UP his string of fish and hur-
ried home to avoid the praise heapeo
on him by witnesses of the analr'