Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 132, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1916 — BELT GROWN INTO FLESH [ARTICLE]

BELT GROWN INTO FLESH

@nce, When Bulging With Gold, It Held Serbian Owner at Bottom of Harbor. Omaha, Neb.—As a tree grows over i. horseshoe that is carelessly hung on a branch when the tree Is young, so the flesh of Ziva Ross, a Serbian now living in this city has grown paitly over a great steel and leather Lell this man has worn since he was a boy in his teens. The police of the South Side put him on the table in the station a night or two ago and removed the belt after laboring over an hour with pincers, pliers, file and pinch bars. The belt, which for years had been too small for the man, had cut deeply into his body, and rolls of flesh and skin on the man’s back and abdomert had grown down half way over the 6 inch width of the belt. Thus this (?elt, for the second time in the Serbian’s career, had nearly cost him his life. The belt, with great buckles, was locked upon his person in Serhla many years ago. It contained compartments where gold could be stored. That was the original purpose of the belt. When he landed in New York three years ago from Europe he carried $4,000 in gold coins with him In the belt. Now this sum in gold consti tutes a considerable weight Coming down ther gangplank he slipped and fell Into New York Bay. He went to the bottom and did not arise again. Officers on duty looked for him to boh up, but he did not. A life crew was summoned. The men found him lying flat on the bottom of the bay, unit ble to move. They dragged him tc the surface and pump.ed the water out of him. It was found on examination that it was the weight of the gold that had held him down.

Today the' $4,000 in gold Is gone; The Serbian is penniless. He was arrested on a warrant here for some pet ty crime, and it was then that the belt was discovered. It was then, also thgt he told the story of his narrow escape from death at the bottom of New York Bay. _ ' # The huge buekle of the belt had rusted so that it could not be woiked, and the leather had grown extremely hard, almost like a board. <