Irish Times Oddities by Allen Foster.
BOY CATCHES BABY IN FALL FROM FOURTH-STOREY LEDGE
A 1½-year-old baby girl who fell from the window ledge of a fourth-storey flat into the arms of a 12-year-old boy, was sleeping comfortably in Temple Street Children's Hospital, Dublin, last night. The baby, Elizabeth McDermott, was detained for observation suffering from shock. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when she crawled out on the window ledge of a flat in Phil Shanahan House, Sheriff Street. Liam Burke, who also lives in the flats and who was passing by, saw her topple. He dashed forward, put out his arms and she fell into them . . . The baby was taken to hospital by a motorist. "Were it not for Liam, the baby would certainly have been killed," said Mrs McDermott yesterday. September 1st, 1960
BOY WHO SAVED BABY GETS WATCH
Liam Burke, a 12-year-old Dublin boy, of St Laurence O'Toole flats, who last Wednesday saved a baby from death, went to see her at Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin yesterday, and brought her a doll. Liam saved the baby, one-year-old Elizabeth McDermott, when he saw her clinging to a top-storey window at her home in Phil Shanahan House . . . When he got to the hospital yesterday, he was presented with an inscribed wrist-watch by the child's parents and their neighbours. The baby is doing very well in hospital. September 5th, 1960
MAN OVERBOARD
Late on Saturday night, when the steamer Duke of Abercorn was leaving Belfast with a large crowd which had crossed to see the Rugby Football International, there was a loud splash and a cry of "Man Overboard" raised. The boat was stopped and a search made, but nobody was found, and after half an hour's delay the boat proceeded on its way. A search with grappling irons failed to reveal a trace of anybody, although a hat was found floating near the spot. March 13th, 1933
CAR DOES A NOSE DIVE
Traffic on the main Torquay to Paignton road (Devon) was held up for a time early yesterday when a motorist, Mr F Starczewski, of Paignton, apparently applied the brakes too firmly. The rear of his saloon car rose from the ground, and the vehicle stood on its nose and stayed there. No one was hurt. November 15th, 1960
NEEDLE IN MAN'S THROAT
While eating his dinner last Wednesday, Martin Curtis (25), of Abbey Street, Naas, felt what he believed was a small bone in his throat. He was taken to the County Hospital, where Dr K Purcell removed an ordinary needle from the back of the man's throat. November 4th, 1927
CHILD ATTACKED BY RATS
A few nights ago the parents of a child named Murray, from the Campile district, were awakened by the screams of the child, and found that it had been attacked in the cradle by rats, and was bleeding profusely. The child was badly wounded about the face. The rats first destroyed the tube of the infant's milk, and afterwards attacked the child as it slept. April 13th, 1911
BOY'S ADVENTURE WITH A MADMAN
A man named Danielson, of Connecticut, an escaped madman, is now being hunted. This is the result of a dreadful experience of Edward Pinkham of New York, aged 16 years, who was captured and overpowered by the maniac, and compelled to walk at night to a lonely cemetery. The madman gave the boy a shovel, and threatening him with a crowbar, ordered him to dig his own grave, saying that he was to be buried alive. After working some time the lad leapt up from the excavation he had made, struck his captor on the head with the spade and escaped. January 10th, 1924.
Culled from the archives of The Irish Times, available online at www.ireland.com/archive. Two books by Allen Foster, Foster's Irish Oddities and Even Odder Irish Oddities, are published by New Island.