The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-19
Little Alabama Girl Who Is Life-Saving Heroine
Candidate for the Honor of Carnegie Medal for Bravery
by DOLLY DALRYMpLE

~ the person of little Miss Nellie
Mccoy of Demopolis, the daugh-
ter of Mr.. B. H. Mccoy and niece of
Mrs. B. c. Burnett of Birmingham,
whom she frequently visits
The heroism of this attractive little
girl is of especial interest to the old
settlers of Birmingham, back in the
DAYS when Elyton was the central
| figure of old Jones valley and little
Miss McCoys grandfather, Capt. J. b.
| Webb, was one of the pioneer settlers
and developers of this now marvellous
! ly prosperous district.
| Captain Webb who Is Mrs Burnett's
father, and with the Mudds, the Jor-
dams, the Walkers, the Earles, the
Smiths and a goodly number of 9TH
ers, whose names spell pioneerism in
! this vicinity, owned a great deal of
property in and about Jefferson coun-
ty, some of the most valuable real es-
tate in Birmingham now situated in the
business section of Second avenue be-
lo1fging to his heirs.
1t seems fitting that a descendant of
one of, Jefferson couhty's oldest and
most honored pioneers should do a deed
worthy of note and put herself on the
map so to speak as heroine.
Little Miss Nellie Mccoy had a great
opportunity to come to her last summer
| of which she proved herself a mast
grand master.
1t was in the old historic town of
Demopolis and the time was August
| 3, 1916, when this little 15-year-o old
girl who is a wonderful swimmer
and athlete, was a spectator at large
party, some of whom were ENJOYING
dip in big swimming pool, which
| is quite rendezvous during the sum-
mer for the citizens of that city
| ON that day, so an eyewitness re-
lates the story, there was young
woman, Miss Selma Bley, who was one
| of the participants in the swimming
party.
Miss Bley weighs 115 pounds and is a
strong, stalwart young woman She
went in the pool and apparently was
as free from thinking that she would
be the victim of the cruel, relentless
water as the most remote person in
| the world, when suddenly something
| happened; the spectators saw that
something was wrong; there was fear
and CONSERVATION in every face; Miss
Bley was drowning; the other swim
mers seemed oblivious of what was go
ling on, so interested were they in their
| own pleasure, but with the spectators
| it was different.
| First, little boy years old, Isadore
Bley, nephew of Miss Bley's, saw her
struggling and although he only
weighed 70 pounds, he jumped into the
water to try to rescue her.
Little Nellie Mccoy, standing on the
edge of the pool, noticed the trouble.
She was not even in her bathing suit;
she was dressed as the other spectators
were; she had on her hat and her shoes
and her pretty little white frock and
dainty ribbons; but when she saw trou-
BILE aheaed, it made no difference to
her; she plunged heroically into the
water-swam to the spot where little
Isadore was struggling to save Miss
Bley and, before you could say Jack
Robinson, Nellie had the two drowning
people in her grasp for they were
drowning as fast as they could; the
| little boy, although doing his level best,
couldn't hod out against the burden he
had shouldered.
Miss Bley carried little Nellie Mccoy
down twice with her. The little boy in
the meantime had been pulled under
once but getting out Of the grasp of
the other two, swan to safety; all the
while Nellie was battling with her
victim; the third time was near at
hand and drowning was only prevented
| by little Nellies marvellous presence of
mind, her superb swimming and won
derful control enabled her to pull Miss
Bley out and get her into shallow wa
ter and bring her back safely to her
| friends and loved ones after they'd been
under twice.
Mr.. Balls guests were Mrs. Henley,
Mrs. Frank Nelson, Mrs. Zach Nabers,
Mrs. A. G. Smith, Mrs. r. H. Pearson,
Mrs T. G. Bush. Mrs. T. o. Smith, Mrs.
| F. B. Winslow, Mrs. Scale Harris, Mrs
| S. L. Ledbetter, Mrs. Hugh Morrow, Mrs.
F. Y. Anderson and Mrs. T. D. Parke.
Miss Annie Dee Rogers gave box
, party at the Lyric yesterday afternoon
| in honor of Mis- Luciel Ketchum, one
1 of the popular brides-elect Among the