Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-28
NO. 81.
Ga5&tte,
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2S, 1877.
U7p the Spout.

About midnight Of Monday most eXtraor
dinary scene was witnessed at No. $40 Eas
Fifty sixth street. A man was seen to emerge
from a window Of the second story, and ap
parently supported by the air, 10 glide to the
peak Of the roof, thence 10 the adjoining house
and down the front to the street, disappearing
in The darkueSS. The actor Of this scene was
Senor Miranda, gymnast aud trapeze per-
former Of some notc. 4 short time, ago be
was performing at Nihlo's. He appeared to
take great pride 10 accomplishing feats that to
the audience seemed miraculous He was COD.
stantly inVontlug new features, aud would dream
at night Of his public successes. Two or three
weeks ago, while in the act OF al extra hazard.
| Gus performance, he caught a violent cold,
which became more and more and more serious
and settled on his lungs. He was cooGned to
his bed in his fathers house in Fifty sixth street,
but grew worse daily. Hc required constant
attention and watchdog, for he exhibited de-
| sire to make his bed q stage and the bed.post
| a trapeZe bar. After several gymnastlc per.
iormanccs, in which the family involuntarily
| assisted, it was iuund necessary to bind him 10
| the bed With ropes.
About midnight Of Sunday he was left alone
| Tor icw lnome1tS, securely bound, as usual.
| lie was at this time dciriOus 10 his fancy he
saw the audience smiling at him. To break
! the cords hat bound him aud lump to the win
| dow was the work of moment. With cry
| that echoed through the house he sprang ont
and hung suspended by his hands. The cry
alarmed the household, and, rushing to the
spot they were horror stricken at his position.
Hanging, suspended thirty feet from the ground,
he smiled at ihcm and then bowed his head as
If AWAITING th, onnl,uso h.. ras accustomed n
rncnive
rho startIrA f,m;Iv cnlc,vorcd 10 ncrsuadc
him 70 came back to the room. and some OF
thcm advanced toward him intending TO sud
denly sc;zr him and draw him in, But this
was NOT in his nroprammc. and with one hand
mo,ionino tLon, ,v,v hc criad.
WIot r'n alamo. I om rn;no mn n the moonIr
M;ronJ, Than hog,n snrirs of gvmnastic
ro,Is sn,;l;r,- ,t hi. ,uI,ncn who no donht
watrhcJ him will, = mare intense inlcrcst than
any that Ec had ever urcvinusIv ncrformed be-
(or,. each motion toward him would check
lLc amilr and in thc t,,r That if farce was used
he wouId drou below and he dashed to pieces,
no Yen. alInwrI tu continue, After while he
wcared or his po,iliop, and. with a cry, he
suddenly disapprarcd from the window.
As he fell from the window the family paused
4 moment. cxpcctinn To hear the thud that
would announce his contact with The pavement
below. But no tbud followed, and if there was
not rI;ethod in his madness he certainly lost
none Of the cOoIncss and nerve he possessed
when sanr. Grasping 4 water spout, he
climbed land over hand toward the moon"
Rcachiug the lJur ahove, he rraspod one Of
the swinging shutters aud paused moment 20
rest. Then, smiling again, he commenced a
/ | 1 Ia
cvnn On IN nrdnary irapcza He was DOW
forty feet above the street, tossing aud swaying
OF a crrakiug aud not over sccnrc shutter. Ills
audience watched him with interest growing
more aud more intense, his smile finding no re
ilactinn upon their upturncd faces. firing at
last, he spranG from hc shutter with cry that
was echoed iriuw. and firmly sraspcd the gut
ter # the ronf. Finding this more to his liking,
he ultcr,d d cry alter cry Of sallslacionand began
each moment TO hurI him n scnsrIcss mass be-