The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-06-29
HEROIC ACT OF DILLON COUNTY man TO SINKING OF THE MAINE WILL ALWAYS
SAVE LIFE REMAIN MYSTERY
WAS AN UNHERALDED HERO RELICS ARE WELL PRESERVED
Paul Is. RowclI, Uf Fork, Gave
Quart of His Blood tn Save Il
Strangers Life.

Frequently we hear of man
who gives his blood 10 save the life
OF Il wife, or OF Il brother who gives
his blood to save tn" life of Il sis
ter, but il is seldom We hear OF Il
man who gives his blood To save
the Nic g! a stranger For the
past few days the papers have been
full Of the heroic act OF Senator
Lea. o. Tcnno oSSee, who gave two
quarts OF his blood TO save the
life OF his wife. Senator Lea is
hcraldod as a hero over the uutir"
continent, but his act Of herOiSm
Is "ciipscd by that ii the Paul *.
Rowel. Il Dillon county man. who
freely gave his blood to save the
life of a stranger. The Senator
Lea incident recalls = mind the act
OF Mr.. Rowell and the following
communication to The state by
ir. II. NJ. Badger, who witnessed
tn" iuid"nt hco describes is of
more than usual interest:
he giving OF u quart OF his
blood TO save the life OF his own
wife appears TO he bearded as Il
unique exhibition of moral hero
ism Oh the part OF United States
Senator Lea of Tennessee, Judging
from your exchanges since The
@l"Ie hotlcc OF II Il few days
since, evidently showing that the
incident here related, occurring
from our own town. has never been
made public before. Known only
10 few personal friends il is now
given TO show that the martyr spirit
is Stiil with us when occasion de.
mands, and not only as a parallel
10 senator Lea'S sacrifice, but 50
lar SURPRISING it in herDiSm that il
seems to deserve now more than
passing notice.
About two years ago a patient
OF the writer went to John Hon
kins hospital, where h.. was de
tanned some weeks where in som,
doubts as TO the case, and as h,
was not confined TO bed or ward II,
became pretty we'll known: genia
ana sociable in his disposition, o
marked native intelligence ant
wlthal an earnest, happy Chris
means ashamed, all this attracted
attention and doubtless was largel
instrumental in leading up TO tn,
incident mere for the first time Civ
eA TO the public. Another patien
III me hospital, an utter stranger Il
my friend. was an eXtremiS; he wa!
HElhg FOR the want OF that elcmen
ms own weak organs could not sun
ply. TRANSMISSION of blood was tn,
last and only remedy. He had nc
loved ones near him. Would an,
one volunteer? There was to be
no compensation save the satiSfac
tlon OF trying 10 save the life of q
! lelio"-belng even at the risk OF his
/ own. Our hero with loving
wlfe and several devoted children
IN IL distant home, whose only com.
tort and support he was - told the
doctor to take his blood. Under an
anaesthetic on the operating table,
MS radial artery was laid bare.
from which was drawn his own
NE blood. II was quite awhile be.
lore he recovered from the prOstra-
tlon which followed. but he lacked
not for attention. He was the man
i2f the hour among the doctors.
and the facts having leaked out
one OF the most prominent and
wealthy citizens OF Baltimore took
ms 10 his own elegant home, where.
as member of his family, he was
treated like prince
Paul K. Rowell, then OF Dillon.
now OF Fork, an industrious and
successful farmer. is indeed hero,
but for this act OF unheralded he
FolSm he does not wear a Carnegie
nnedai, the only marks of distinc-
tlon being an ugly four-inch scar
winch he Will carry to his grave. 3"