Franklin's paper the statesman., 1912-06-08
CARNEGIE HERO
FUND PRIZES
Medals Issued to Many For
Deeds Of vaIo[.
AccoIINT nF SPECIAL GASES
ACCOUNT OF SPECIAL CASES,
Work Of Commission Created by Well
Known Phiianthropist Given Careful
Revisw-Twelvs Instances Of Hero
ism Credited to Afro Americans.
Youths Among Life Savers.
By BOOKER T. WASHINGTON.

years Is the report of the Carnegie
hero fund. l think it will do any one
good to read records printed in this
book of the 5s3 persons who have
been sought out and given recogni-
ton since the commission was found
ed. because they risked their lives In
the effort to save others from injury
and death. Most of these heroes. as
appears from the report. are men and
women from the humber walks OF
life. They were sailors, miners, rail-
way men and often common iaborers-
men. for the most part employed In
the dangerous trades. who In their
work come daily in contact with IN
usual perils.
observed. however, among this list
Of heroes an assistant secretary Of the
New York Stock Exchange, school
superintendent in Kansas. an insur-
ance agent and bank clerk. A con-
siderable number of heroes whose
deeds have gained the recognition OF
the commission are boys and girls
Several Of them are put down merely
as students. But among others MOTTO
ed the name of woman. an author
and an educator. who Is seventy years
of age. 1t is evident. therefore. that
heroism, physical herolsm of the kind
to which Mr.. Carnegie has tried to
give recognition. Is not confined to any
particular age or class.
The last report OF the hero fund com
mission was made in January. 1912.
and there are, as have said. 5s3 deeds
of heroism recognized and recorded out
Of 6,667 cases examined and passed
on by the commission since the fund
was established in 1904. There are.
however, in this new book Of heroes
which Mr.. Carnegie. through the com
mission he has established, is gradually
bringing together two classes of Incl
dents which are particularly interest
ing to me. They are cases the first in
which black man or woman has risk
ed his or her life to save white man
or woman; second. In which white
man or woman has performed SINH
lar act for the sake of black man or
a black woman.
There are nine cases OF heroism cred
tied to Negroes in the report issued
year ago. and since that time I have
learned by inquiry three other cases o.
heroism by Negroes have been investi-
gated and recognized by the commits
sion. Following is the account of
these particular instances of Negro her
oism as recorded In the report Of the
hero fund commission:
John 3. Hill. colored. aged thirty
FIVE. coachman. rescued Thomas S
Prescott. aged six. aud Florence VIII
liams. co!ored, aged twenty-one. from
runaway. Atlanta, Ca, Dec. !. 1905
BY grabbing the bride of runaway
team hitched to a landau containing
the child and maid Hill. after being
dragged some distance. threw the
horse. 1t fell upon him. breaking the
| stitches in wound due to a recent
| operation.
BrouZe medal and $500 to reimburse
him for pecuniary loss sustained ON ac
| count of injuries.
| George A. Grant. coiored. aged thirty
| three, teamster. sustained fatal inju'
ries rescuing Charles &. Campbell. aged
forty-six president American Printing
| and Decorating company. and Charles
A Whipp.e. aged forty-eight, superin
tendent of building construction, from
runaway. Groton. Conn.,. June %.
1906. Grant grasped the bride Of one
| Of the horses. and. finding himself un-
able to control the other horse because
Its bride was Off, he threw the one he
had hold of and was kicked on the
neck and run over by the vehicle. He
died the second day after.
| Albert X. Sweet, colored, aged twen-
ty, machinist. attempted to save s. ID.
Ranghild. Fl. c. Lilly and AxseI W. l.
Hanson. aged fifteen, thirteen and
ten. respectively. and Gilbert W. john
son, colored, aged fifteen. from drown
Ing. Norwood. X. L.. Feb. 81. 1909. The
| Hansons and johnson broke through
the ice together on Sand pond. 200 feet
from the bank. where the water was
twenty feet deep. Sweet skated to
| within four feet OF the hole. and as he
dung his oSercoat which Ranghild
and johnson grabbed. the ice broke
under him. After being In the water
twenty minutes Sweet was rescued by
! men in a boat The four others were
drowned. Bronze medal.
| Boyce Lindsay, ooiorei. aged six
teen, delivery boy, saved E. Reynoid
Smith. aged eleven. from being run
| over by q train, Spartnnburg. 8. O..
May %. 1910 STOPPING over one rail
in the face OF a string of approaching
box cars, when the cars were but four
feet distant. Lindsay flung Smith on
the middle OF the track. where he ind
4 fallen from his bicycle. himself being
struck on the right shoulder aud
whirIed around against the side OF
car as he was Strengthening ~, to get
back from the track Neither waa In