The New York herald., 1922-05-05
William Sullivan Plunges
Down ManhOle in Time to
Avert a Drowning.
BRAVE YOUTH Is MODEST
Thinks Only of so Yard Dash
He Will Run in Games at
Pershing Field.

William Sullivan, 13, was much more
interested yesterday in telling the world
that he was going to run in the field
games at the Pershing Stadium. Jersey
City, on Saturday than he was in re-
lating the details of how he saved the
life of a five-year-old child from a
muddy death in the rushing waters
OF, a Jersey City sewer a week ago.
It was just after schoo1-around 3:3C
Thursday afternoon. Little five-year-old
Girard Murphy was standing at the
curb at Huron and st. Paul avenues
waiting for his twelve-year-old sister
"Queaiie" to take him from st. Johns
Parochial School back to their hcme at
sS Broadway. Jersey City. Close by was
manhole which Girard did not see.
Some older boys had been playing
s'catch' In the street and had opened
Il in search of a ten-cent rubber ball.
Children Jostle Little boy.
AS one class was let out of school, and
tumblcd down the path and spilled into
the street. laughing. shouting anc
jostling. group OF three or four ca
reened over to where Girard was staho'
ing and bumped into him.
He dropped like shot bird into the
black muck ten feet below. The girls
and boys crowded around crorching on
their hands and knees and peering TIM
idly into the dark reservoir.
[ Sullivan was alone. swinging down the
street with his books and ruler under
his arm. There's kid down there.
some one cried. Willie peered down, but
II was dark and he couldn't see anything
hut a few bits of black wood floating
In the surface Of the gurgling water.
He took off his coat and CLIMBED down.
gaining a precarious hold on the pro-
iecting stones of the sewer until his
feet touched the water. Then. as ne
described It. the water Seemed to part
and mass of moist. STICKY hair came
10 the surface. He clutched hold OF IL
with one hand, and then felt tiny
paw reach up and grasp his wrist
wiI,ie pulIed at the boys hair and
,ugn,d at his wrist until he got Gerald
between his knees. Then ne was able
70 nush the boy above and to the street.
He doesn't know whether tiirard was
coming up for ths first or the second
time. but II seems likely that Willie
arrived at tnc CTuSifi ho''e''S ~
the delay Of few more SECONDS would
have been fatal
Mother Thankful for Rescue.
Girard's mother thinks so. too. MY
Iittl. how would have been drowned IL
IL hadn't been for Willie" she said.
land all the other boys standing round
lool<in' at him."
older boys helped Willie carry Grard
to the school. and he was taken to the
boiler room and dried out next to tn.
furnace. after which the sisters got
clean clothes for him. He had TO stay
In bed two days. but he's out and back
at school now.
Willie didn't mention the incident 20
his parents. Mr.. and Mrs. William Sulli-
van of 2s7 Magnolia avenue. nor even to
his older sister. who thinks Willie Is
pretty much OF a nuisance anyway. SO
nothing happened until Willie was
called up before the whole class by
Sister Victorine. who told what hero
he was and presented him with me-
dallion of the Holy Family.
After having been interviewed and
photogra phed all yesterday afternoon
Willie was still as shy as field mar
shal last night. His chief remarks for
publication wera:
Don't forget 10 say I'm goin' to run
in the fifty yard dash at Pcrshing Field
Saturday. I'm going to run for St.
Paufs Playground-give them a write
up, too. And don't say I'm head OF my
class. cause I'm not"