Evening star., 1939-07-19
Girl Is Rescued
From Potomac
On Wedding Eve
Chain Of Tragedy
Leads to Effort
To End Life

Mrs. Ella Sisk, 90 was in Gallinger
Hospital today after her attempt
last night to find solution for the
multiple troubles that have beset
her recently. Today was to have been
her wedding day.
Mrs Sisk jumped into the Potomac
River at Tbs last night. Interviewed
at the hospital today, she was cheer
ful-but not entirely certain that
she was glad valiant citizens had
risked his life to save hers.
Il guess In glad TO be alive" she
said pensively. Il don't know
The rescue of Mrs. SiSk from the
swirling. black waters under the
bridge was witnessed by scores OF
persons She was pulled out of the
river by Arthur S. Parker, A, OF
1906 Tenth street NV.
The chain of tragedy that led to
last nights climax started last fall.
At that time, Mrs. Sisk was happily
married, the mother of a 3-year-old
child and the mistress of nice home
in Falls Church, Va.
Series of Misfortunes.
In October her home burned In
February her husband died. Last
month her child died. And yester-
day her fiance left for New York,
after a quarrel with her, announc-
ing that he was going to have
good time" This was the crown
ing blow. because they were to have
been married today.
She left her home at 1404 Duke
street, Alexandria. Va, where she
lives with her brother-in law, in
black mood last night. She stopped
at drug store in Alexandria and
dispatched two messages. One went
to her fance, the other to her
brother-in-laW. Lucian SiSk.
In the wires she announced her
intention to end her life at the
Washington Airport. The telegraph
operator Immediately notified police,
and two Alexandria officers, Russell
A. HaweS and George w. Embrey, set
out to the rescue.
Her relatives, worried by remark
she had dropped as she left home,
had followed her to the drug store.
They saw her get in cab and fol-
lowed her to Washington, to the
home of her fiance. They saw her
get in the cab again and drive to
the Virginia side of the Highway
Bridge.
Crowd Gathers.
There she dismissed the cab and
started to walk out toward the mid
die of the span. Mr.. Sisk approached
on foot from the District side of
the bridge, while the police officers
came up alongside of her.
II was just trying to forget him
as l walked along she said today.
"All of sudden I saw this police
man and I dived over I hit the
water hard, and tried to go down,
but I couldn't"
A small crowd gathered at the rail
of the bridge and at this point Mr..
Parker entered the drama. He was
driving across the bridge with his
wife.
He left his car and went to the
rail.
Il heard her crying Help. help, I'm
going down." he said There were
people around, but nobody was do
ing anything. A couple of truck
drivers came along and we got a
rope. They tied it around my waist
and I lowered myself to the water.
The tide was coming in strong
and there was sort OF whirlpool
under the bridge. I managed to get
a hold on her and held her head
above water. I asked her what was
wrong, but she didn't say anything.
/ guess we were down there half
an hour. Finally, some one juggled
the rope over to one of the concrete
abutmentS. Those truck drivers
climbed down and we managed to
fish her out with some more ropes"
Mr.. Parker is an employe of the
Soil Conservation Service in the
Department of Agriculture. He has
been on sick leave for some time
with serious stomach ailment and
was in weakened condition when he
went over the rail to the rescue.
He made little of his feat today.
Taken to Hospital.
After Mrs Sisk was pulled out,
. she was taken to Emergency Hos
pital and given first aid. Later she
was taken to Gallinger Hospital.
She said she wouldn't try it again,
especially if her fiance would kiss
and make up.
Mr.. Parker had a few comments
to make on the police who gathered
at the scene.
They just stood around and
watched he said. They were
afraid to get their trousers wet.
And when got out of the water one
OF them bawled the daylights out of
me for crossing the bridge in viola
ton of the pedestrian regulations.
They had chased my wife and the
car off the bridge and had to wan
der around for long time before
could find them"
Mrs. Sisk suffered no apparent
injury.