Huntsville gazette., 1886-08-21
95jiI4 l MADMAN AND HERO.
A Maniac, Liquor-Wild, Saved
fT s@ST From An Awful Death.


third streets, Philadelphia, was lately
the scene of thrilling incident For
some days pastworkmen have been en-
gagged in building wooden steeple on
the eastern tower of St. James Catho-
lie Church, which stands on the north
east corner. The tower, like the
church building, is of unhewn marble,
and rises to height of about seventy
five feet above the sidewalk, its top be-
ing circular and fifteen feet in dame
ter. Above this four stout uprights
have been put in position, in pyramid
shape, reaching an additional height of
thirty feet. The tops of the uprights
are joined around the base of wooden
cross. which extends fifteen feet still
higher in the air. The whole abric is
workmen who are building it climb
about the timbers with the agility and
self-posession of squirrels. They have
been seen and admired by people for
blocks around, and at least one lady in
the neighborhood watches them from
her window all day long, in confident
expectation that she will see one of
them fail.
The other morning, however, there
was a scene enacted on the skeleton
spire that thrilled the watching lady
and hundreds of other people with hos-
TOR. A few minutes before seven
o'clock, as workmen were approach
ing the church to begin their days
work, they were amazed to see man
climbing nimbly and rapidly up the
cross-pieces which had been nailed on
the outside of one of the uprights to
serve as a ladder. He was clad only
in trousers and shirt, his feet being
bare and his head without hat. The
worklnen knew in moment that he
was not one of their number, and their
amazement was speedily succeeded by
utter CONSERVATION and alarm. By
this time the strange actions of the
man on the steeple had attracted the
attention of people in the vicinity, and
they, too, realized that he was not a
workman-thata terrible tragedy was
before them-and they came in crowds
to witness it. kt
While they gathered silent and awe
struck in the. street below, the man in
the air above them had climbed to the
top of the upright and now stood with
his arms about the base of the cross.
He seemed utterly unconscious that he
was watched, never looking down for a
moment, but always up to the top of
the cross, as if measuring how far he
had yet to 90 to reach the end of his
perilous journey. There was many a
quick heart-throb in the breasts of the
Mortified watchers below, but appar-
emily no means of saving the man had
suggested itself to any of them for
hardly word had been spoken except
few short calculations of alarm. The
workmen, who were brave enough
when they were in his position, now
that they saw him there were absolutely
speechless with fear.
Up to this time, as has been said, the
climber had not looked down; but now,
as be stood with his arms around the
cross, he turned his head and saw the
crowds of people staring up at him.
The sight appeared to infuriate him,
for, uttering cry that almost froze
the blood Of those who heard it, he
sprang up the straight stem of the
cross, climbing with frantic haste as il
trying to escape peril, instead OF seek
ing it. There was no longer a doubt
as to who he was: the man was luna
tic, and that fact added another horror
to the scene Just as a few men in the
crowd regained enough self-possession
70 talk coherently of some way to res
cue him, the superintendent OF the
workmen arrived. He was the very
man for the occasion, for he took in the
situation at once and issued his orders
with q GOODNESS OF one accustomed to
danger. By this time the madman
had reached the arms of the cross. and
was now astride them. gazing below
him with every appearance OF the Wild
est fear.
The imminent peril of his position
may be appreciated when it is remem-
bered that there is no scaffolding OF
any description around the steeple-
the only means Of reaching the point