The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-24
Extraordinary Feats Of Crazy Ira.
peZiSt,

ptLLsts
About midnight of Sunday most eX-
traordinary scene was witnessed at No.
$40 East Fifth-sixth street. A man was
seen to emerge from window Of the
second story, and, apparently supported
by the air, to glide to the peak of the
roof, thence to the adjoining house and
down the front to the street, disappear
ing in the darkness.
The actor of this scene was Senior Mi
randa, a gymnast and trapeze performer
of some note. A short time ago he was
performing at Niblo's. He appeared to
take great pride in accomplishing feats
that to the audience seemed miraculous.
He was constantly lnventing new feat
ures, and would dream at night of his
public successes. Two or three weeks
ago, while in the act of an extra hazard
Gus performance, he caught a violent
cold, which became more and more seri-
Gus and settled on his lungs. He was
confined to his bed in his fathers house
in Fifty sixth street, but grew worse
daily. He required constant attention
and watching for he exhibited a desire
to make his bed a stage and the bedpost
trapeze bar. After several gymnastic
performances, in which the family invol-
unfairly assisted, it was found necessary
to bind him to the bed with ropes.
About midnight of Sunday he was left
alone for few moments, securely bound,
as usual. He was at this time delirious.
In his fancy he saw the audience smiling
at him. To break the cords that bound
him and jump to the window was the
work of a moment. With a cry that
echoed through the house he sprang out
and hung by his hands. The cry alarmed
the household, and rushing to the spot
they were horror strick en- at his position.
Hanging, suspended thirty feet from the
ground, he smiled at them and then
bowed his head as if awaiting the APP
plause he was accustomed to receive.
The startled family endeavored to per-
suade him to come back to the room, and
some of them advanced toward him, in
tending to suddenly seize him and draw
him in. But this was not in his pro-
gramme, and, with one hand motioning
them away, he cried; "Let me alone;
am going up to the moonw Miranda
then began series of gymnastic feats,
smiling at his audience, who no doubt
watched him with more intense inter-
est than any that he had ever previously
performed before. Each motion toward
him would check the smile, and in tie
fear that if force were used he would
drop below and be dashed to pieces he
was allowed to continue. After while
he wearied Of his position, and, with a
cry, he suddenly disappeared from the
window
AS he fell from the window the family
paused moment, expecting to hear the
thud that would announce his contact
with the pavement below. But no thud
followed, and if there was not method
in his madness he certainly lost none of
the GOODNESS and nerve he possessed when
sane. Grasping a water.spout, he climbed
hand over hand toward the moon"
Reaching the floor above he grasped one
of the swinging shutters and paused a
moment to rest. Then, smiling again
commenced a series of clever and danger,
Gus feats-dangerous even on an ordinary
trapeze. He was now forty feet above
the street. tossing and swaying on q
creaking and not over-secure shutter
His audience watched him with interest
growing more and more intense, his smile
finding no reflection upon their upturneG
faces. firing at last he sprang from the
shutter with cry that was echoed be
low, and firmly grasped the gutter of the
roof. Finding this more to his liking
he uttered cry after cry of satisfaction
and began series of waves and lurche!
that threatened each moment to hurl hin
senseless mass below He gradually
grew quieter, and finally hung pendulous
fifty feet about the street.
After resting again he started along
the edge of the roof, quietly swinging
himself from hand to hand. AS he neareC
the adjoining house he paused for a mo
ment, and hung dangling simply by ont
arm. A shudder passed through his au
dience, and they braced themselves to
witness his fall. But to fall was not hi.
intention. Suddenly he was seen tt
tighten his grasp and, with another wilt
cry, pitched forward. Grasping the roo
of the adjoining building, he tottered /
moment, seeming to struggle for thu
mastery, and then hung oscillating in thu
moonlight, his body casting grotesqu'
shadows on the street below.
Preparations were now made to catcl
him, but with no avail, He proposed t.
return to the ground in manner as move
as he had reached the roof. Quietly
reaching over the roof, he dropped from
sill to sill, from shutter to shutter, unit
he reached a small stoop over the from
door. Standing a moment here, he turned
a somersault, slid down one of the pillars
and with a shrill cry disappeared in thu
shadows Of the street. His friend
notified the police, and after twenty fou
hours search the actor in this moon
light drama was captured and returned
to his fathers house. The following
day he was dead.-N. Y World.