BOUND TO WIN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2178, 23 December 1885, Page 2

BOUND TO WIN.

An exciting scene occurred lately at Douglas,. Isle'of Man, A short and muscular looking young man, respectably dressed, was engaged in a discussion with a Manx policeman, who had his hand on the young man's collar. Their excited demeanour caused a crowd to assemble. The young fellow dashed his hat 011 the pavement, wriggled clean from the policeman's clutches, rushed along the Victory pier, down a flight of stew, (pj leaped intp the aefy %n about M'tido, and the tyatbiiolling In hiige ; biJlows. ; The young irian, who had not taken off his clothing, \vas seen battling with the waves, and apparently trying to reach the "Tower of. Reiuge." The cause of the excitement swam, past the Conister Rock, and got nearly half way across the bay,- betweei\ the Victoria and the iron whore lie was exposed to the far.®; of ibe tide, and \?as eesi on tie sujnmit oj; 4 ifhite ati'd th'en lost 'to sight for a. elhort interval, The' excitement became intense.. Every, time the swimmer was lost to sight the females screwed >' Qt( i he's he's ejmii^i;' Ipentatip.ns.' The s.wimm'er. ceased to buffet waves, floated on his and was driven rapidly towards the Bhore. Meii 'with lifp-bnoya and TQp.es ruahecl along the -Promenade, ready to throw them to him ashe came within reach,; At the. expiration' of about forty. minutes ; from r l^a/-plunging into the water, .the, young' manias boriieV to 'within about forty ySrdp of the Promenade wall, nearly :opposite ilie Granville Bote!.. Here ; he :ceased'floatingj and jrectapenced raing. Wheftaboi^te^M^fto^w

sliore a, life-belt attached to a rope was i thrown to him. He eagerly grasped it, being then almost exhausted. The men on shore commenced to haul in, when the belt, which was rotten, snapped in pieces,' and once more the young fellow was struggling with the waves. Another rope was thrown, and finally he was hauled on shore, looking more dead than alive, and shivering with cold. He was<immediately surrounded by gentlemen,. who praised his pluck and. took him into one of tlio hotels, from where, after; partaking of hot stimulants he was driven home to his lodgings. It was ascertained 'that the , venturesome fellow was a'professional swimmer named De Cole, who hjty, for a wager of £3O, arranged, to swim fin his. clothes from Victoria Pier to .the Iron Pierm half-an-hour, and this was the result of the foolish wager. The jpolice- i;, officer on duty on the Promenade 'gbti hear of the transaction, and was endeavoring to persuade the man not to/be so foolish, when the "professor,"discarding . his remonstrances, and probably fearing to be prevented by force from attempting • to.win the stakes, leaped into the sea in' the,way described.