Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-02-16
Fighting for Life ON a Roof.


Fighting for Life ON a Roof.
Detroit Free Press.
One of the most fearful struggles ever
engaged in by two men. occurred within
three blocks of the Free Press office on
Friday night, about midnight. One of the
actors is an old citizen, much respected,
and is at present under the doctors care.
His wife has been dangerously i'll for sew
eral days, and the name is suppressed at
the earnest request of the physician, who
has closed the house against callers. The
citizen is proprietor Of a store, and though
the doors are always closed early in the
evening, he has for the past few evenings
been busily closing up the years business,
and has sometimes remained till nine or
ten o'clock. On Friday he remained at his
desk until ten O'Clock. AS he was ready
to go out he thought he smelled smoke,
and he took a candle and assembled to the
second story. Here, while the smoke of a
burning cigar was strongly apparent. he
failed to trace it in any particular dlrec-
ton, and at length doubted whether he
really scented smoke at all. After a care
full search lie descended to the Office, wait
ed a few minutes longer and then started
for home.
The merchant lives in the northern part
of the city, and at eleven o'clock he was
in his wife's sick room, slippers and dress
ing gown on. She was feeling much better
thai day, and was sleeping as he entered
the apartment. AS he sat down, the doc
tor, who had been called to a house near
by, stepped in to see if the change was still
for the better. The two men were whis-
pering together when the sick lady moved
uneasiiy, and called out:
HE ought to have searched the third
story, too"
Did the words refer to her husbands
search of the second story of the store, or
were they the speech of some curious
dream? No one knows yet, as she is too i'll
to talk. The nurse, doctor, and husband
heard the words plainly, and all heard alike.
They made no impression on the first two,
but the physician had no sooner departed
than the husband at once set out for the
store, nervous and fearful. He reached it
in half an hour; and finding everything all
right Oh the outside. he hesitated about 60
ing in. After d moment he saw a police
man a block and a half away aud he I'M
locked the door, passed Ill and struck a
light. The odor of cigar smoke was strong
enough now.
The merchant had no firearms. and as he
looked up the dark stairway, he picked up
the coal-shaker tor a weapon. He heard
no noise on the second floor. His wife's
WOIuS lofCGu llllu W dSC6llu ullc lleAt llislC
of stairs. There are but few goods IN the
third floor, and sometimes it is not visited
for two days at Il time. Everything SEEM
ed to be all right, but as the merchant
cast bis eyes alnft he saw that the scuttle-
hole in the roof was open. A ladder led
to the ROOT as a fire escape, and one could
traverse a whole block on the roofs. The
nan placed his light on the floor and as
cended the ladder, thinking perhaps some
careless hand had left the scuttle open.
lie had not the least fear now, and went
boldly ahead. The door was thrown back
on the roof, SO that he must needs go clear
up. AS he stepped out on the roof and
rose up, he staggered or slipped, and this
fact saved his life. A powerful blow from
a club just missed his head, and so great
had been the force eXerted by the striker
that the club flew from his hands and roll
eG along the graveled roof to the water
trough. The slip, the blow, and the dis
covery that there was a stranger on the
roof were made at the same instant, and
before the merchant had fairly %straighten-
ed up, the assassin had clutched his thro 1T
and ben him over on the roof.
The merchant threw up his hands and
caught the fellow by the hair, and his sud
den jerk was followed by all exclamation
of pain. The robber broke his hold and
started to escape, hut the other had only
reached his feet when the fellow returned
to the attack. They clinched each other
without a word. The assassin Mas the
stronger, but the merchant the more agile.
They were below the Scuttle. and natural
ly worked toward the caves. Indeed, the
stranger soon betrayed tie fact that it was
his plan to throw the merchant into the
alley. He could pick him up, but as he at
tempted to move along, the merchant would
trip is legs. They struck each other with
their fists-they seized new holds-they
strained every nerve for an advantage, and
twice they rolled over and over on the roof.
All this without a word. One did not dare
raise a cry, and the other knew that his
life depended on his own desperate eff
forts.
At one time the two men stood on the
very edge of the roof, straining and tug
ging. If one went the other must 90, and
after a glimpse into the dark alley below
both instinctively drew back. The assas-
sin now began to breathe heavily, as if los
ing his wind, and tie merchant forced the
fight, Had he been a little stronger he
might have captured the fellow, IS he trip
ped him twice in succession, but could not
hold him down. AS they were struggling
up from the last fall the merchant received
a blow in the throat, and that for a no.
ment made him weak and almost helpless.
This opportunity was seized by the assas-
sin to escape. He ran off over the roof,
but which way cannot be told, as the mer-
chant was almost in a faint. 1t was a full
half hour before he was able to leave the
store, and then a private Waterman called
a carriage for him. 1t was found that the
scuttle cover had been forced up with an
iron bar, and it was plain enough that the
robber was coolly smoking his cigar in the
third story when the second floor was first
searched. He WAS very likely in the office
in the ground story when the merchant