Sixteen-Year-Old Received a Reward of a Nickel for Saving Six Lives in Pelham

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "The Haunted History of Pelham, New York"
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

In 1892 a smart aleck and street-smart sixteen-year-old newsboy nicknamed "Swipes" (after a famous prize fighter of the day to be a subject of a future Historic Pelham article) saved the lives of six people off the shores of City Island in the Town of Pelham.  The story of the courage and quick thinking of Swipes made newspaper headlines throughout the United States from New York to California.  People throughout the nation marveled at his feat and laughed at the disdain he showed for those whom he rescued.  Today's Historic Pelham article tells the story of the rescue by Swipes and his subsequent determination that each of the lives of the six people he saved was worth only five-sixths of one cent. . . .

In the summer of 1892, the fishing village and summer resort known as City Island in the Town of Pelham was at the height of its renown as a vacation resort.  Each weekend (and many weekdays) thousands crowded onto trains, wagons, small ships, and even horseback and made their way to City Island in the Town of Pelham to enjoy bathing and boating in the waters offshore as well as wandering the streets of the quaint settlement.  

One of those who visited City Island on Monday, August 8, 1892 was sixteen-year-old Edward Gallagher.  He was known as "Swipes" and lived in Manhattan at 330 West 42nd Street.  He was described as "black-eyed, brown haired and small.  What his muscular development lack[ed] in quantity it more than [made] up in quantity."

Swipes worked as a newsboy.  He spent the better part of the day that Monday hauling armloads of newspapers and hawking them between New York City and City Island.  Having sold all his copies by late that day, he decided to hop into a rowboat at City Island and enjoy a little time on the waters of Long Island Sound.

At the same time, a small land-lubbing group of four men and two women from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, were wading and bathing in the waters near Belden Point at the tip of City Island.  Earlier, the group had sailed up the East River and lower Long Island Sound in the small sloop Agnes during the morning of the day.  

At about 6:30 p.m., with "Swipes" enjoying a leisurely row off the shores of Belden Point, the small group of landlubbers from Greenpoint commandeered a tiny skiff.  Three men and two women climbed in and paddled into the Sound while a fourth man swam leisurely behind them, trailing the skiff.

When the skiff made it about two hundred yards offshore, the man swimming behind it grew tired and decided to climb aboard.  Rather than climbing safely over the stern, he tried to climb over the side of the skiff and upset it, tumbling all five occupants into the water.  Several, apparently, were unable to swim.  

Swipes noticed the commotion and heard the cries for help.  He rowed furiously to the upset skiff and found six flailing in the waters around the skiff.  As he arrived, one of the men shouted forlornly "We're all lost!"  Swipes dragged all six to safety and paddled them back safely to the shores of City Island.

When the rowboat arrived and the landlubbers scrambled out, one of the men exclaimed to young Swipes, somewhat condescendingly:  "that was great work you done."  He turned to the other landlubber survivors and collected what money they had to gift as a reward to young Swipes.  The landlubber passed the hat among his compatriots and raised only thirty cents .  He then handed it over to Swipes explaining sheepishly that it was only thirty cents because "You're only a boy, you know."

According to a contemporary account, young Swipes shook his head and gave the man back twenty-five cents.  Swipes next said to the group "I ain't goin' to overcharge you.  The hull gang of yer ain't wort' more'n 6 pence."  Young Swipes then turned and left the landlubbers, later telling a New York Herald reporter that he first became disgusted with the group when one of the men cried from the water "We're all lost!"  According to Swipes, the entire group made him "weary."

Swipes, it seems, had the final say.  Though he was "only a boy, you know," newspapers throughout the United States reported this Pelham vignette.  Virtually all reported that Swipes had affirmed the lives of such people off the waters of Pelham to be "dull and in small demand -- spot cash, five-sixths of a cent each person."

Undated Postcard View of Belden Point and the Waters Off its Shores

in About 1914.  "ST. BARTHOLDI CAMP, BELDEN POINT, CITY ISLAND,

N.Y."  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

*          *          *          *          *

Below is the text of a newspaper article on which today's Historic Pelham article is based.  The text is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"SWIPES KNEW THEIR VALUE.
-----
A Newsboy Who Would Only Accept Five Cents for Saving Six Lives

Human life is dull and in small demand -- spot cash, five-sixths of a cent each person -- at Belden Point, on City Island.  These figures are the result of the and experience of Edward Gallagher, of 330 West Forty-second Street New York.  Edward is a newsboy, sometimes called 'Swipes the Newsboy,' as a compliment to his ability.  He is not the original 'Swipes.'  Edward is 16 years old, black-eyed, brown haired and small.  What his muscular development lacks in quantity it more than makes up in quantity.  He sold a big armful of newspapers between this city and City Island on Monday afternoon and then went rowing near Belden Point.  Four men and two women who had sailed up from Greenpoint in the small sloop Agnes went in bathing at half past 6 o'clock so 'Swipes' says.  Three of the men and the women presently got into the skiff and paddled out into the sound followed leisurely by the fourth man, who swam.  Two hundred yards from the shore he grew tired, tried to climb into the skiff over the side instead of the stern and upset it.  'Swipes' said he rowed fiercely to the rescue and saved them all. 

'They make me weary,' he confided to a New York Herald man.  'When I began taking them in all the men could say was:  'We're all lost!'  Soon's I got 'em ashore one says:  'Johnny, that was great work you done.  I'm goin' to take up a c'lection.'

'He passed the hat and raised 30 cents out of all their clothes.  When he give it to me he says:  'You're only a boy, you know,' an' I gave him back his quarter an' says:  'Yes, an' I ain't goin' to overcharge you.  The hull gang of yer ain't wort' more'n 6 pence.'  Then I skipped.'

But will not some society or some kind individual give 'Swipes' a medal?"

Source:  SWIPES KNEW THEIR VALUE -- A Newsboy Who Would Only Accept Five Cents for Saving Six Lives, St. Hilaire Spectator [St. Hilaire, Polk County, MN], Aug. 10, 1892, Vol. XI, No. 3, p. 4, col. 5.  See also WIPES [sic] KNEW THEIR VALUE -- A Newsboy Who Would Only Accept Five Cents for Having Six Lives, The Daily Leader [Gloversville, NY], Aug. 4, 1892, Vol. V, No. 308, p. 4, col. 2 (same text); WIPES [sic] KNEW THEIR VALUE -- A Newsboy Who Would Only Accept Five Cents for Having Six Lives, Bridgeport Chronicle-Union [Bridgeport, Mono County, CA], Nov. 19, 1892, Vol. XXXI, No. 1,585, p. 4, col. 4 (same text).

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "The Haunted History of Pelham, New York"
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."