The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-10-31
Combat in Mid-air.

DEADLY STKUGGLE OK 4 TIGHr I;oP1-oNH
CuMBATANT HUELED To TIE GEoC%D AND
INSTANTLY KILLED
Little did the thousands Of men, wom-
ell and children who thrOnged Inc
public square of Agram, Croatia, on the
18th of August anticipate that they
were about to witness spectacle such
as has, perhaps, never been seen before
"A mortal struggle in mid-air. The oc-
casiou of the gathering was 4 perform
ance on the tight rope. The acrobats, An
dreas Kolter and Francis PergOwitCh,
were to appear on the rope, which had
been been stretched from the fifth story
of the court house to window IN an OPP
posite house, 4 distance OF DO feet. The
aerobats were to meet midway and
then to pass each other When the
clock struck twelve the acrObats emerged
from their respective windows, dressed
i'm tights, and without balance poles.
Kolter walked rather cautiously, while
Pergowitch came to meet him from the
Opposite direction with a nervous, quick
step. At last they met, and the suspense
of the crowd beneath changed the next
moment to a feeling of indescribable
horror. Pergowitch suddenly uttered
an exclamation, and dealt kOlter terri
BILE blow on the head. KOlter staggered
and fell, but in doing so succeeded IN
clutehing the rope with one hand while
with the other he grasped the leg OF his
assailant. PergOwitch now fell like
wise, but in doing so passed his right
arm around the rope, so that he hung
upon il in comparative security. And
now began a life and death struggle.
Kolter, with his right hand tried to drag
PeTgowitch from the rope, while Pergo-
witch kicked kOlteT with his right foot,
and with his left hand endeavOred to
loosen his antagonists hold. No one
was able to interfere, and the result, IT
was easy to forsee, must be the death OF
one or both of the acrobats. Many wOm-
Ell tainted and strong men wept like
children. What added to the general
despair was the appearance Of kolter's
young wife at the window, from which
her husband only a few moments be-
fore had set out upon his fatal walk.
Her piteous screams were heard above
the din below, and her appeals to Pergo-
witch to spare her husbands life would
have moved the heart Of an Apache.
The struggle i'm mid-air lasted herhaps
a minute, when kolter suddenly uttered
a last cry and lost his hold. He fell to
the ground, striking it violently and ex-
piring instantly. While the people
gathered around the corpse OF poor kOl-
ter, his murderer on the tight rope man
aged to get on his feet again. With q
diabOlical expression on his face he ut
tered yell of triumph.
The Perfect of Police ordered PergO-
witch to surrender. In case he would
not do it within five minutes he would
be shot down like q dog. Finally he
raised himself to his feet and ran quick
ly to the court house window, where he
surrendered, begging that he might be
saved from violence. There was great
danger of his being executed by the
people, who loudly clamOred that the
murderer be given up to them; but the
military by a bayonet charge cleared
the public square. Pergowitch being
asked what caused him to peTpetrate
this crime, said there had been q grudge
between him and KOlter ever since the
latter had married young Rosita Ser
ganoH, Polish girl of rare beauty.
KOlter, in fit of jealousy, had told him
he knew one or the other must die on
this account. Andrras Kolter was the
youngest member of the distin guished
family of aerObats of that name