Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1873-10-26
DEADLY sTRUGGLE ON TIGHT
ROPE.

Little did the tens of thousands of
men. women and children who thronged
the public square Of Agram, Croatia, on
the 10Th OF August, anticipated that
they we're about to witness spectacle
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 ac-
robats, Andreas kolter and Francis Per-
gowitch, 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, distance
of $50 feet. The acrobats were to meet
midway, and then to pass each other.
When the clock struck II, the acrobats
emerged from their respective windows,
dressed in tights, and without balance
poles. Koter walked rather cautiously,
while Pergowitch came to meet him from
the opposite side, with nervous, quick
step. At last they met, and the suspense
of the crowd underneath changed the
next moment to feeling of indescribabe
lorror. Pergowitch suddenly uttered
an ugly exclamation and dealt Kolter
n terrible blow on the head. Kolter
staggered and fell, but in 50 doing
succeeded in c!utcning the rope
with one hand, while with the
other hand he grasped the left leg of his
assaiant. Pergowitch now fell likewise
but passed his right arm around the rope
so that he hung upon it in comparative
security. And now began life and
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 antagonists s
hold. No one was able to interfere, and
the result, 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 appearance of
Kolter's young wife at the open window,
from which her husband lew moments
before had set out on 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 in mid-air lasted perhaps min
ute, when kolter suddenly uttered last
cry and lost his hold. He fell to the
Siouuu, btLiNiuS ~ NAoAeAtiys anu Ga pitcd
instantly. While the people gathered
round the corpse of poor kolter, his
murderer on the tisht-rope managed to
get on his feet again. With diabolical
expression on his face, he uttered yell
of triumph. The Prefect Of Police or
dered Pergowitch to surrender. In case
he should not do 80 within i've minutes,
he would be shot down like dog. Fin
ally, he raised himself to his feet and
ran quickly 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 peaple, who loudly clamored that
the murderer might be given to them ;
but the military by bayonet charge
cleared the public square. Pergowitch,
being asked what caused him to perpe-
trate this crime, said that there had been
grudge between him and Kolter ever
since the latter had married young Rosita
Serganoff, Polish girl Of rare beauty,
Hotter, in a fit of jealousy, had told him
he knew one or the other of them musl
die on this account. Andreas Koltei
was the youngest member of the distin.
guished family of acrobats Of that name.