The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-08-20
MADMAN AND HERO.
a Maniac, Liquor-Wild, Saved
From An Awful Death.

The corner of Chestnut and Thirty
third streets, Philadelphia, was lately
the scene of a thrilling incident For
some days past workmen have been en-
gagged in building a 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 diane
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 fabric is
a mere skeleton yet, and the fearless
workmen who are building it climt
about the timbers with the agility and
self-posession of squirrels. They have
been seen and admired by people fOI
blocks around, and at least one lady il
the neighbOrhood watches them from
her window all day long, in cOnfiden
expectation that she will see one o.
them fall.
The other morning, however, there
was a scene enacted on the SIX eletoI
spire that thrilled the watching lady
and hundreds of other people with hor-
ror. A few minutes before seven
o'clock, as wOrkmen were approach
ing the church to begin their days
-,
climbing nimblv 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
workmen 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-that a terrible tragedy was
before them-and they came in crowds
to witness it.
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 q
moment, but always up tc the top OF
the cross, as If measuring how far he
had yet to go to reach che end of his
perilous Journey. There was many g
quick heart-throb in che breasts of the
horrified watchers below, but appar
entity no means Of saving the man haC
suggested itself to any of them fol
hardly word had been spoken excep
few short CALCULATIONS of alarm. Th'
workmen, who were brave enough
when they were in his position, nov
that they saw him there were absolutely
speechless with fear
UE to this time, as has been said, tht
elirnber had not looked down; but now
a. he stood with his arms around th'
cross, he turned his head and saw th'
crowds of people staring up at him
The sight appeared to infuriate him
for, uttering a cry that almost froz'
the blood of those who heard it, h'
sprang up the straight stem of th'
cross, climbing with frantic haste as j
trying to escape peril, instead of seek
ing it. There was no longer doub
as to who he was: the man was a luna
tic, and that fact added another horro
to the scene. Just as a few men in th'
crowd regained enough self-possessioI
to talk coherently of some way to res
cue him, the superintendent of tn
wOrkmen arrived He was the very
man for the occasion, for he took in tht
situation at once and issued his ORDER
with a GOODNESS OF one accustomed tC
danger. BY this time the madmar
had reached the arms of the cross, anC
was now astride them, gazing below
him with every appearance OF the wild
est fear.
The imminent peril of his position
NAV be appreciated when it is remem
bered that there is no scaffolding o
anv description around the steeple-
the only means Of reaching the poin
to which he had climbed being tn
cross pieces nailed to the tall upright
How was be to be brought down il
safety? That was the question ever
anxious watcher asked himself.
dozen men gathered about the superin
tendent, some making suggestions
others predicting the certain failure o
Anv plan that might be adopted. I'll
abruptly silenced them by a word, AM
went on with his preparations in a wa,
that inspired confidence. in his men a
leasts
Hundreds Of people were now in tn
streets, all looking up to the dizz
height where the poor madman clunl
10 the frail-iooking timbers forming
the cross. None doubted that his hoT
-ible death was inevitable. Me
looked up with blanched checks an
: beating hearts. Women and childre