The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-05-14
ALMOST OVER NIAGARA.
A Detroiter's Thrilling Adventure with q
Mad Man on Goat Island.

In store on Woodward avenue IL
exhibited very striking oil painting Of
a portion of Niagara Falls. A WELL
known business man of Detroit had his
face at the window the other day when
u Free Press reporter slapped him on
the shoulder and queried:
"Well, does it look naturalp"
The man gave start of surprise, and
as he wheeled around he looked pale
and excited. In voice by no means
under control he answered.:
"When you touched me l thought
was over the Falls. That picture has a
queer fascination for me-"
you've been therep"
Twenty times, but I'll never 60
again"
"WhyP"
walk on with me and I'll tell you. !
had little adventure on Goat Island
one afternoon last summer. which will
keep me away from Niagara Falls as
long as ! live. My wife and some Of my
friends have heard the particulars. but
they have never been published"
''GO ahead"
ut was during the last of August. /
was there to meet q New Yorker on
business, and had to wait n whole day
for him. During the afternoon of the
first day went over. to Goat Island.
When had walked clear down to the
American Falls, just where the bridges
start to run out, sat down in the shade
to rest. There were two or three people
around there ut the time. but they soon
went away, and for half an hour ] was
all alone. Then a single person ap-
preached. He was tall, black-eyed
man, powerfully built. and having a
troubled look on his face. He halted
near me, looked ut me, as il trying to
establish my identity, and / heard him
growing and muttering. At length he
shouted at me:
We'll! are you readyp
For whatP' asked.
To 90 over the Fallsr'
81 was on my feet like a flash, for it
had struck me that he was insane.
was no sooner up than he sprang at me
with curse, and the next moment we
were struggling there on the bank, not
six feet from the water and not over
forty from the Falls. The fellow did not
try to push me over, but rather to drag
me with him. In rough-and-tumble
with him would have no show, but in
seeking to grasp my throat he got his
thumb in my mouth and shut down on
it with all my might. am famous in
the gymnasium for my left-handers,
and instead of trusting to brute strength
! planted my fist in his face whenever
the chance offered. He was a human
bulldog. ! bit his thumb to the bone,
but he never WINGED. Twice he had
me so near the brink that ] gave myself
up for lost, but rallied on him, and
finally planted blow on his neck which
made him wilt.
"When ! got away from him rushed
up the bank and down the path a few
rods, and then, laugh as you may, l
tumbled in heap and came so near
fainting away that everything turned
dark for moment. 1t was five min
utes before the weakness left my knees
so that could walk, and at once made
tracks for the mainland. Before I
reached the island bridge met party
of gentlemen. and went back with them
TO secure the lunatic. He was not to be
found. The toll-takers at the bridge re-
membered of his passing over in the
morning, but he never returned. The
island was thoroughly searched, but
nothing could be found of him."
"Went over the Falls, eh?"
"He must have, and since that time
the mere mention of the place puts me
in cold chill. wouldn't try another
struggle of the sort for all the money
ever coined on earth. "-Dctron Free
Press.