The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-09
FIGHTING ron LIFE ON A ROOF
The Terrible Adventure Suggested by the
Words Of n sleeping Hife.

From ne Detroit Pre- Press
One Of the most fearful struggles ever
three blocks Of tho Free Press Office on Friday
night, about midnight One of the actors il an
old cltllen, much Respected. and is At present
under the doctors care His wife has been dan
gcrousy i'll for several days. and the name IL
suppressed at the earnest request OF tho ply
stefan. who has closed the house against callers.
The ctiz n is proprietor of n store. and though
the doors are always closed enrly in the evening.
he has Tor the past few evenings bqcn busily
closing up the years business. and Inns some
times remained till nino or ten o'clock. On
Friday he remained ut his desk unit ten o'clock;
AZ he was ready 10 go out he thought he smclled
smoke. and he took candle and assembled To
the second story. Hore. while the smoke Of
burning cigar was strongly apparent. he failed
length doubled Whether no really scented
smoke Mt al After careful search he descend,
cd TO the Office. waited few minutes longer and
thun started for home.
:, The merchant lives in tho northern part Of
sick room. slippers and dressing gown on. She
was feeling much better that day. and was sleep
Ing as ho entered the apartment; Az he sat down.
tho doctor. who had been called to a house near
by. stepped in TO SEQ II tho change was still for
the batt' n. The two men wore Whispering to-
gcther whom tho sick lady moved uncasily and
Ho ought to have searched the third story,
Did the words refer TO her husbands search OF
the second story of the store. or were they tho
speech Of some curious drcamt No ono knows
and husband heard tho words plainly. and all
heard alike. They made no impression on tho
parted than the husband at once set out for Tho
store. nervous and fearful. He reached it In
hali an hour, and HIDING everything al right on
the outside. he hcsitited about going in. After
moment he saw policeman "A block and u half
AWAY, and he unlocked the door. passed in and
struck u light; Tho odor OF cignr smoke was
Tho merchant had no firearms. and "a he
looked up III dark starway, he picked up the
on the second floor Hs wifes words forced
him to ascend the next flight Of stairs There
are but ( w goods on the third floor and some
times 1t il moi visited for two days at u time
Everything seemed to hc all right. hut as tho
merchant c,lsthis eyes aloft he saw that the scut
tc-holr IN the roof was open. ladder led to
the ROOF as fire ~ 'apc. and one could traverse
nwholo block on the roofs. The man placed his
light on the foor and assembled the ladder
inlhking perhaps some careless hand had left
the scuitl'Nppen. He had not the least fcnr now.
ana went Boldly ahead. The door was thrown
back on the roof so that he must needs go clear
w. As he stepped out on the roof and rose up
he staggered or slipped, and this fact saved his
life. powerful blow from club Just missed
his head. and 50 grcGt had been the force exert
ed ny tho striker thnt the club flew from his
hands and rolled along the grayclcd roof To tho
watcr-trQugh, The slip. the blow. and tho dis
covery that there wns a stranger on the roof
were made at The same instant. and before the
merchant had fnirly Strengthened up, the nssns-
on the roof
The merchant threw up his hands and caught
NC fellow by the hair, and his sudden jerk was
| followed 10y an exclamation Of pnin. The
| rpbber broke his hold and started to escape.
hut the other had only reached his feet when
thcirluw returned 20 the attack. They clinchcd
each other without II word. The assassin was
u" stronger. hut the merchant the more agile.
! They were below the s,uttlc and naturally
worked toward the caves. Indeed. the stranger
soon betrayed the fact that il was his plan b.
! throw the merchant into tn" alloy He could
pick him up, hut rs he attempted TO move along.
the merchant would trip his legs. They struck
each other with thor il~e-thcy seized new
holds-they strained every nerve for an advnn-
| tage. and iwir" they rolled over and over on the
roof All this without word. cdid not dnr,
raise cry, and thu other knew that his lie de-
| pended on his own desperate Efforts.
| At one time the two mon stood on the very
! edge ni tn" roof, stininng and Juggling. IL ono
! went other must 20. and after glimpse into
! the dark alley below both in.tinctivcly drew
back. The assassin now began to breathe
heavily. as II losing his wind. and the merchant
forced the fight. Had he been u little stronger
he might have captured the fellow as he tripprd
him twice in succession. but could not hold Il m
down As they were struggling up from the
last AL the merchant received blow In tho
throat, and that fur moment made him weak
and almost helpless. This opportunity WIS
Sel''i 10y the assassin - escape. He ran OIL
/ oVrthc roof. but which WAY cannot bc told. ~
M, MGR hdni was almost I'm n faint. II WINS Il
] iuil half hour before h" was aldo to leave the
! store. and then .priNut' wat Imam called n
carriage for him. II was found tina, the scuttc
/ cover had been forced up with an iron bar, and
/ II wu- plain enough that the rolbcr was coolly
/ smoking his cigar ~ the third story when the
| Se'unl ilopr was first searched. He was very
! likely in thu oillrr I'm the ground story when tho
merchant first ratified the door.