The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-10-15
DE!A DLY 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 18th Of
August, anticipate that they were
about to witness q spectacle such
rs has, perhaps, never been seen
betorc-a mortal struggle in mid
air.
The occasion OF the gathering
was Il performance on the tight
rope. The acrobats Andreas Kol-
ter and Francis Pergowitch, were
to appear on the rope, which had
been stretched from window in
the fifth story of the courthouse
to window in an opposite house,
a distance Of two hundred and fif-
ty feet. The acrobats were to
meet midway, and then to pass
each other. When the clock
struck twelve, the acrobats emerg-
Ell from their respective windows,
dressed in tights, and without
balance poles. koIter walked
rather cautiously, while Pergo-
witch came to meet him from the
opposite direction with q ner-
vous. quick step. At last they
met, and the suspense Of the
crowd underneath changed the
next moment to a feeling of in
describable horror. Pergowitch
suddenly. uttered an angry excla
nation, and dealt Kolter terri
bio blow on the. head. Kolter
taggered and fell, but in so doing
succeeded in clutching the rope
with ones hand while with the
other he. gruspcd the left leg
Of his assailant. Pergowltch now
fell likewise, but passed his arm
around the rope so that he hung
upon it in comparative security.
And now began q. life and death
struggle. Kolter, with his right
hand, tried to drag Pergowitch
from the rope, while Pergowitch
kicked Koltcr with his right foot,
and with his left hand endeavored
to loosen his antogonistss hold,
No one was able to interfere, and
the result, it was easy TO toresee,
must be the death Of one or both
of the acr"bats. Many women
tainted, while strong men wept
like children. What added to the
general despair was the appear
anco. Of Kolter's young wife at
the open window, from. which her
husband. Il few momvnts before,
bad set out upon his fatal walk.
Her piteons screams were heard
above the din below, and, her ap-
peals to .Pergowitch to spare her
husbands life would have moved
the. heart Of an Apache. The
struggle in mid-air lasted about
a minute, when Kolter uttered a
last cry and lost. his hold. Hefeil
to the ground, striking it violent
Iy, and expiring Instantly. While
the people gathered round the
the corpse Of poor Kolter, his
murderer on the tight-rope man
aged to get on his feet again.
With a diabolical expression on
his face be uttered a yell Of
triumph. The project of police
ordered Pcrgowitch to surrender.
In case he should not do so within
five minutes =. he would be. shot
down like dog. Finally he rals-
ed himsclf to his feet and ran
quickly to the courthouse window,
where he surrendered, begging
that he might be protected from
violence. There was great dan
ger of his being executed by the
people, who loudly 'clamored that
the murderer be given up to
them; but the military, by bay
onet charge cleared the public
square. Pergowitch being asked
what caused, him TO perpetrate the
crimo, said that there had been
grudgo between him and Koltcr
ever. since the latter had married
young Roster Scrganoff, a Polish
girl Of rare beauty. kolter, in a
fit Of jealousy, had told him be
knew one or the other Of them
must dio on this account. Andreas
Ko'ter was the youngest mem ber
Of the distinguished family of aero
bats of that name: