Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-18
Deadly Struggle on a Tight-Rope.

Little did the tens of thousands of
men. women and children who thronged
the public square OF Agram, Croatia,
on the Goth of September, anticipate
that they were about to witness specta-
Gle such as has, perhaps, never been
seen before, a mortal struggle in mid
air. The occasion of the gathering was
a performance on the tight-rope. The
acrObats, Andreas Kolter and Francis
Pergowitch, were to appear on the rope,
which had been stretched from O win
dow in the fifth story of the courthouse
to a window in an opposite house,
distance of $50 feet. The acrObats were
to meet midway, and then to pass each
other. When the clock struck IL, the
acrobats emerged from their respective
windows dressed in tights, and without
balance-po 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 suspence of the crowd
underneath changed the next moment
to feeling of indescribable horror.
Pergowitch suddenly uttered an angry
exclamation, and dealt Kolter a terri.
BILE blow on the head. Kolter staggered
and fell, but in so doing, succeeded In
clutcling the rope with one hand, while
with the other he grasped the left leg OF
hisassailant. PergOwitch now fell, like
wise, but passed his right arm around
the rope, so that he hung upon it In
comparative security. And now began
life aud death struggle. Kolter with
his right hand, tried to drag Pergowitch
from the rope, while PergOwitch kicked
Kolter with his right foot, and with his
left hand endeavored to loosen his an
tagonist's hold. No one was able to in
teifere, and the result, it was easy to
foresee. must be the death of one or
both of the acrobats. Many women
tainted, while strong men wept like
children. What added to the general
despair was the appearance of kolter's
young wife at the open window, from
which hcr husband, few moments be-
fore, had set out upon his fatal walk.
Her piteous screams were heard above
the din below, and her appeals to Per
gowitch to spare her husbands life
would have moved the heart of an Ap-
ache. The struggle in mid-air lasted
perhapsa p,inute, when Kolter suddenly
uttered last cry and lost his hold. He
fell to the ground, striking it violently
and expiring instantly. While the peO-
pie gathered around the corps OF poor
Kolter, his murderer on the tight. rope
managed to get on his feet again. With
a diabolical expression on his face he
uttered yell of triumph. The prefect
of police ordered Pergowitch to sur.
render. In case he should not do SC
within five minutes he would be shot
down like a dog. Finally he raised
h mself to his feet and ran quickly t.
the courthouse window, where he sur,
rendered, begging that he might he
protected from violence. There was
great danger of his being executed by
the people, who loudly clamored thai
tho murderer be given up to them but
the militsry by bayonet charge cleared
the public square. Pergowitcb, being
asked what caused him to perpetratt
this crime, said that there had been
qrudge between him and Kolter evel
since the latter had married yOune
Rosita Serganoff, Polish girl of rar,
beauty. Kolter in tit of jealousy, hat
told him he knew one or the other o
them must die on this account. Andrea
Kolter was the youngest member o
the distinguished family of acrobats o
that name.