Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-06-12
Two Chapters From Real Life.
CHAPTER ONE.

About 3la o'clock yesterday afternoon
a man apparently something over 81
years of age paid his cent at the New
York end of the big Brooklyn bridge
and started out on the promenade. He
was of medium height and slender build,
and he wore spectacles and small
brown mOustache. His face was pale
and intelligent, and his general appear
ance, with his plain but scrupulously
brushed clothing, was that Of young
professional man or a student of some
what Strengthened circumstances. His
manner was nervous, and he walked
rapidly until he passed the tower on the
New York side. Here he stopped for a
while, and sanntered over to the high
rail at the side. lie stood there for some
time, and then took letter out Of his
pocket, and, resting it on the rail, wrote
for several minutes with lead pencil
on the blank side of the half sheet on
which the letter was written, folded up
the paper, put it in large black pocE-
etbook, put the pocketbook in the inside
pocket of his coat, and moved slowly
on toward Brooklyn. When he had got
about $50 feet from the New York tower
he stopped again, and stood so long in
the one spot that he attracted the atten-
ton of Bridge Policeman Buckridge,
who was n few rods away. He appeared
to be admiring the harbor, which, with
the thick, heavy clouds of the forenoon
all swept away, was sparkling under a
blue sky and flood of bright, exhilarst-
ing sunlight. There was something in
interest i'm his movements on the part
of Policeman Buckridge, and this in
terest was instantly transformed into u
state of violent excitement when the
young man suddenly made dart for
the rail, swung over it, ran swiftly
along the plank to the electric light
post, and climbed down the ladder there
to the carriage way OH the north side of
the bridge.
The spot where he went over was with
in few feet of being directly opposite
the point where Odlum made his fatal
leap but a few days before. The mo-
ment Buckridge saw the man get over
the first rail, he saw that he could not
catch him himself, and he shouted fran
tically to Policeman Cash, who was on
the carriage way near the tower, Ito
stop that man." Cash ran after him as
fast as he could 60. Scores of people
were on the bridge at the time, and all
rushed to the rail to watch the mad
chase. Men shouted and women scream
ed, but the man who made the most
noise of all was A. j. Lusk, who was
driving coach over from the Brooklyn
side, and who was near enough to the
fugitive to see his dash over the rail to
the driveway and to hear the cry of
alarm from Buckridge. Lusk rose up
in his seat, fourished his whip and
made a frantic effort to head the man
off.
Meanwhile, the object of all this ex-
citement had stripped of his coat and
waistcoat, dashed them on the floor OF
the bridge, and was climbing like a cat
upon the outer rail into the network of
great wire ropes. He had got fairly
up, and, with arms outspread, would la
another instant have been dashing into
the space below, when Policeman Cash
bounded painting to the spot, grabbed
him with a vise-like grip about the legs,
and dragged him safely down to the
floor.
The young mans face was flushed,
great drops of perspiration stood on his
forehead, and he trembled violently,
but he said nothing and made no resist
ance. Mr.. Lusk. still laboring under
intense excitement, had come up with
his coach meanw hile, and Policeman
Cash hurried his prisoner into it, or
dered the horses heads turned toward
Brooklyn, and drove to the bridge sta
ton house oil the Long Island side.
Eere the prisoner, who proved to be
a German and incapable of speaking a
word of English, gave, through an in
terpreter, his name as Gustav Fleiseher,
and his residence as 2l9 East Seventy
third street. BY trade he said he was
carpenter. His coat and vest had been
picked up on the bridge, and in the
pocketbook in tie inside pocket was
found, along with a number of value
less papers, the following letter. 1t was
written on the back Of one addressed tC
A. Sulzman, signed by Robert Stern,
and recommending Fleischer as a poor
man with large family, who had
money due him which Sulzman wa;
urged TO assist him in collecting
FIeischer's letter was beautifully writ.
ten in German, and was addressed tc
his wife and family. 1t read thus:
"Dear Wife and Children: My errant
was again in vain to-day. 1 did no
find any work to-day either. At th'
Mayors office called the fourth time
without success. l am now so fesbl,
and downhearted that no more know
what to do. You know how dear thos'
children are to my heart, and it pain
me so much that ! cannot 60 home an!
more. Then their inquiries: "Papa