A BRAVE ACT RECOGNISED.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 135, 7 June 1907, Page 5

A BRAVE ACT RECOGNISED.

Prior to the commencement of the City Council's meeting last night, the Mayor (Mr. A. M. Myers) presented the silver medal and certificate of the Royal Humane Society to Mr. T. F. Tester, an employee of the Harbour Board. Iv making the presentation Mr. Alyers s_" ! .iat he had a pleasant duty to perf_... ~1 presenting to Mr. T. F. Tester the certificate and silver medal awarded to him by ther Royal Humane Society of New Zealand for courageous conduct in attempting to save the victim of a burning accident. On the evening of Oct. 24, 1905, a Mrs. Driscoll, living in Yelverton-terrace, Auckland, either fell into the fire or set her clothes alight with a candle. Mr. Tester was living opposite at the time, and, hearing cries of " Fire! " he jumped from ona of his windows, a distance of twelve feet, and ran to see what was the matter. He; found ]Mrs. Driscoll a mass of flames. Catching up a sack, he enveloped her in it as far as he could, and after burning himself severely about the face and handa he succeeded in extinguishing the fire. He had to tear the burning clothes oil with his hands. After rescuing Mrs. Driscoll, Mr. Tester proceeded to put out the fire, which was just beginning to spread up the walls of the house. Mrs. Driscoll subsequently died from her injuries, but Mr. Tester's courageous efforts were not fruitless, as but for his prompt and effective action it is most probabla that the house, with others adjacent, would have been burnt down, and that Mr. Driscoll. who was lying asleep, would have shared his wife's fate. This was not Mr. Tester's first live-saving exploit, a3 on a previous occasion he rescued a boy who had fallen overboard from a vessel at the Queen-str°_t Wharf, and who wa3 in imminent danger of drowning, having been stunned by striking the side of the vessel. Mr. Tester had, therefore, distinguished himself in conflict with both of the elements by which human life was most often endangered, and he had well I earned the recognition of his gallantry : which had been awarded to him by the Boyal Humane Society. He was proud | that we had a citizen capable of such | heroic actions, ready to risk his own life to j save others, and it was right that his deeds of valour should receive public reI cognition, and thus serve as an example : and inspiration to others.