National Republican., 1883-07-06
A MOMENT OF TERROR.

Mothers Desperate Struggle with a
Maniac Daughtcr-On the Roof OF Six
Story BuiIding-The Rescue.
A New York dispatch of the third to the
Hartford Post says Mrs. Staver and her two
daughters, both grown and one an invalid,
occupy an upper suit of apartments in the six
story fat house No. 121 West Eleventh street.
Early yesterday morning the mother and
daughters were in their rooms awaiting
the arrival of some trie nds who were to
take the invalid girl to hospital for
treatment. Suddenly the girl got up
from her chair, and, saying, Mamma,
dear, / cannot stay in this room; it
is so cose-let me go for little air." ran
lightly up the stairs and disappeared through
the attic door. The younger sister followed
some time after, apparently not fearing any
danger. AS she reached the roof she was hor-
rifed to see the girl sitting on the coping.
She called her mother, and, as the latter
reached the roof, the girl, bending down and
catching hold of the cornice with her two
hands, swung herself over. The paved yard
was six stories below. The mother, with a
Shrek, rushed forward and caught the girl by
the arm just as she was relaxing her grasp ON
the cornice.
The daughter struggled violently. Let
me go!" she cried again and again. 1 want
to die I want to die"
The mother, with strength that seemed
supernatural, still held the girl, although her
whole weight now depended upon the mothers
grasp. The sister came to her assistance and
both called Historically for aid. Their cries
--"Save her Help, help" rang through all
the neighborhood. Some children in the
yard below shrieked. Men came up to the
windows, and, after brief look, rushed for
the stairs and to the streets. Everybody
shouted for help.
A lady in the apartment below, with gem
tleman beside her, leaned far out from q win
dow directly under the struggling girl. But
she could barely reach her. She could secure
slight hold upon one of Miss Staver's ankles,
and this hold she kept at great personal
danger, somewhat checking the hapless girls
efforts to get free from her mothers frantic
grasp. 1t was evident to the shuddering spec
tators that in moment more the strength of
the women above must give out and that the
crazed girl must plunge down to death, carry
ing with her, by her weight, the brave lady
below her, and perhaps the mother and sister.
In this supreme moment of suspense, above
the cries of tho mother and daughter, and
onlookers the girl shrieked loudly, Let me
drop! 1t will be better for me! / want to
goW Then young girl rushed to the roof
and gave her feeble aid to the two ladies, and
then a head and shoulders appeared through
the trap door, and the first of the rescuers
swung himself on to the roof. There was a
glad shout and then profound silence, except
for the cries of the maniac. In an instant he
was at the edge of the roof, and, leaning far
over, had his arms about the girls shoulders.
second stalwart man came to his assistance.
The mother and sister fell back fainting. The
two men slowly drew the still struggling girl
over the parapet aud to safety.
1t had been a terrible sight the scene
now was thrilling one. On that dizzy
height, silnouetted against the blue sky, the
group of three stood motionless for mo-
ment. Then the mother and sister arose and
were embracing the rescued girl, who, dazed
and now silent seemed to have recovered her
senses. The two men wiped the perspira-
tion from their faces. In hundreds of win
dows up and down the block men and women
were weeping and laughing at once. In an
almost incredible brief time the roof was
crowded, the mother and daughters were
helped to their rooms, congratulations were
showered upon the two rescueTs, and it seemed
as if their shoulders would be shaken out OF
their sockets. Every one wanted to take
them by the hand. Then the crowd slowly
dispersed.