Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1914 — STRETCHED HIM TWO INCHES. [ARTICLE]

STRETCHED HIM TWO INCHES.

St Levi* Fireman Tell* Hew He Satisfied Civil Sendee Rale. BL Louis, Me.—To obtain entrance into the Ffre Department of this city in spite of civil service raise which would hare barred him, Edward George Bernard, according to hl* own account, stretched tomeoif two inches. Afterward he shrunk to to* former stoe. la an lasnffinlnl measurement taken three months after he had been certified a* a department member be was found to be two Inches shorter than he was, according to the official figures, on the day he entered. To the surprise of a trial court before which he wa* up on charge* of being understood, Bernard declared, that both meaauromenta had been accurately and honestly made and that both were correct “But hew could you be 6 feet 7 inches In height when you were measured three months ago and show only 5 feet 5 Inches nowr asked Chief Bwtagley. “It’s easy." the fireman replied, “and rn teU yon how I did It I stoaafip scalead myself before I wml measured. I Jay in a bathtub filled with warm water for twenty-four hours and then I had myself massaged and stretched until I was two inches longer.” ~ Bernard refused to submit to- more puffing and maroaglng and soaking to see if the shrinkage of the last, two month* could be restored, and was summarily suspended. It is the opinions of Chief Swlngtey that certain politicians know more about the “soaking'’ of Bernard than he admitted at hto trial.