A PLUCKY RESCUE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 294, 29 August 1888, Page 5

A PLUCKY RESCUE.

J It will be remembered (writes the Melbourne correspondent of the Dunedin "Star") that about a year ago Melbourne was thrown into a great state oi excitement by the death of Laura Swain, who jumped off the Victoria-street bridge into the Yarra and was drowned. The incidents of that melancholy tragedy eeem to have excited in the mind of a married woman named Mrs Greer the desire uo commit suicide in a similar way. Mrs Greer is about thirty years of age, and has been married about twelve months. Her husband is employed at the Australasian Electric Light, Power, and Storage Company's works, and with him she has been living in a comfortable and amicable way in Collingwood. At the time of the Laura Swain tragedy Mrs Greer book an unusual interest in all the coronial proceedings, and latterly she suffered from extreme melancholy, and frequently expressed lo her husband her desire to take her life. On Friday, 3rd inst, she was observed to throw herself inco the Yarra off theVictoiiastreet bridge by a man named William Davis, who is employed at a soap factory in the locality. Strange to say, he did not feel called upon to take any action to rescue her or to raise an alarm, but was content to go on mindinar his own business in the factory. A gentleman who mas near the bridge fortunately, however, albO observed what had occurred, and he rushed Lo get the life-buoy which has been placed on jhe bridge since the Laura Swain affair, calling out tor assistance in the meanwhile. His cries attracted the attention of a man named Robert Harper, who was driving a cow, and who hurried down to the mer, dive&ting himself of all superfluous clothing as he ran. He plunged in, and on reaching- the drowning woman put his legs around her body in feuch a way as to raise her head above the water. He then seized her round the neck, and turning on his back, held her ud until a man named James Rose put out in a boat which was moored near the bridge. Rose reached the {wrir jusfc as Harper was beginning to teel faint, and his condition was such that he had not strength to clamber inco the boat. Rose got the woman in, but could not help Harper, who clung on to the stem of the boat, Rose tried to pull to land, but the stream was too stiong for him to do so, and the party were rescued after soa.e trouble by some tanners, who caught hold of the boat witli their pit-hooks, and pulled it towards land. The woman was quite unconscious, and Harper almost exhausted when landed, and measures had to be taken for their resuscitation. Mrs Greer has been formally brought before the Police Bench and discharged with a caution, and Harper, who is an old seaman of sixty, is to be rewarded with the Humane Society's medal.