Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-12-08
B ABLY srnUaG q ovA TIGHT ROPE

Little did the ten thousand of men,
women and children who thronged the
publie square of Agram. Croatia, on the
fifteenth OF August, anticipate that they
We're about to witness a spectacle snch
as perhaps has never been seen before
a mortal struggle III mid air. The occa-
sion of the gathering was performance
on the right rope. The acrobat, An
drpas Kolter and Pergowitch. were to
appear on the rope, which had been
stretched from q window in the fifth
story of the court house, to window in
the opposite house, a distance of two
hundred and fifty feet. The acrobats
were to meet mid way, and then pass
each other. When the clock struck
twelve, the acrobats emerged from their
respective windows, dressed in tights
and without balancepoles. Kolter walk
ed rather cautiously, while Pergowitch
came to meet him from the opposite di-
rection with nervous. quick step
at last they met, and the suspense of
the crowd underneath changed the next
moment to q feeling of indescribable
horror. Pergowitch suddenly uttered
an angry exclamation, and dealt Kolter
a terrible blow on the head. Kolter
staggered and fell, but in so doing sue
ceeded in clutching the rope with one
hand, while with tho other he grasped
the left leg of his assailant. Pergo-
witch now fell likewise, but passed his
right arm around to the rope, SO that
he hung upon it in comparative securi-
ty. And now began life and death
ofr Altar xx,.+I III ,s.ryhk ho,
tried to drag Pergowitch from the rope,
while Pergowitch kicked Kolter with
his right foot, and with his left hand
tried to loosen his antagonists hold
No one was able to interfere, and the
res.it, it was easy to foresee, must be
the death of one or both the acrobats.
Many women tainted, while strong
men wept like children. What added
to the general despair was the appear
ance of Kolter's young VITO at the open
window, from which her husband few
moments before had set out upon his
fatal walk. Her piteous screams were
heard above the din below, and her APP
peals TO Pergowitch to spare her hus-
bands life would have moved the heart
of an Apache. The struggle in mid air
lasted perhaps minute, when Kolter
suddenly uttered a last cry and lost his
hold. He fell to the ground, striking
it violently and expiring instantly.
While the people gathered round the
corpse of poor Kolter, the murderer on
the tight rope managed to get on his
feet again. With diabolical express
sion on his face he uttered yell of tri-
umph.
The project Of tho police ordered Per-
witch to surrender. In case he should
not do SO within five minutes he would
be shot down like a dog. Finally he
raised himself to his feet and ran quick
" to the court house window, where he
surrendered, begging that he might be
protected 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 clear
ed the public square. Pergowitch, be-
ing asked what caused him to pernA-
trate this crime, said that there mad
been a grudge between him and Kolter
ever 81 ce the latter had married young
Rosita Serganoff, Polish girl OF rare
beauty. Kolter, in fit of jealousy, had
told him he knew one or the other must
die on this account. Andreas Kolter.
was the youngest member of the distin-
guished family of acrobats of that pame.
Il Exchange.