The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-21
A MYSTERIOUS FALL.

mission having ROW been gwen, hasten
to tell of a most peculiar occurrence that
has been known to only few.
Chicago is a city where they build their
structures after the style of the Tower OF
Babel-or, in other words, they seem to try
! to reach the sky or heavens. Some of their
buildings rise seventeen and eighteen
| stories in the air.
Last June | first came to Chicago, and,
with friend, went to see mutual friend
who was engaged in the construction Of q
large building.
| We found him in the seventh story.
! He was young man, bright, energetic,
and great athlete. He also was in the
! habit OF playing practical jokes.
! When we reached the room he was IN
| he had just leaped upon the window sill
in order to lower the sash, on account of q
| storm coming up, and he told Us that he
| would be with US IN a minute
AS he reached the sash he turned and
begged US, for Gods sake, to catch him
and pull him down or he would pitch out.
We simply laughed, thinking he was try
ing to fool us,
He pleaded and pleaded, and the more he
pleaded the more we enjoyed it.
He seemed as if he could not move, and
looked as if he was trying with all his
power to resist falling out.
Ny friend turned TO me and said:
"Jim's playing his part we'll He ought
to go On the stage"
HE is, indeed, replied; "but he won't
get the laugh on us this time"
| had no sooner said Ghis than-great
heavens!-with one uEeGrthly yell Jim
dashed out of the window to certain death !;
for we could see no way lie could escape it
after such frjghtful fall.
For over a minute we stood, looking hor-
rifed at each other, not knowing what to
do, and not being able to speak or move.
With a simultaneous loud cry of dis
tressed horror, we made a rush down stairs
for the street, to find our poor, mangled
dead friend.
Down we ran, almost falling at every
step we took, until We reached the street,
but there, to our utter Amusement, we saw
nothing Of our friend, and there was no
commOtion.
The pedestrians were walking as usual,
as if nothing had happened.
Near by was 8 policeman, and we hur-
ried up to him and asked him if he had
seen a man fall out OF the window a few
minutes ago, and what had been done with
him.
He looked at our frightened and death
like countenances and said:
''What are you giving me? Are you
crazy, or trying to impose on me?'
Our friend has fallen from the seventh
story of that building, and we want to find
his body, we persisted.
Better 90 home and go to bed and get
up sober" sneered the officer, who would
not believe our statement.
We hung around the place till night,
more or less questioning different persons,
the patrolman eying us suspiciously when
ever he saw us.
We scarcely slept that night, but talked
and wondered over the mystery.
The next day we returned TO the building
and made more inquiries, but to no pur-
pose
The last time Jim had been seen was
when he was going up stairs TO that fatal
room.
We then went to his boarding house, but
they had no information to give us. He
had not been taken home, and they had not
seen nor heard from him since the day be-
fore.
''Ben, what does it meant" said my
friend, addressing me.
police headquarters and try to find out"
When we reached there and told our bus
mess they looked at us in Amusement and
suspicion, and assured US no such accident
had ever happened, or they would have
heard of it long ago.
We did not know what to do. for no one
believed our story. So we left, sad and
sick at heart.
Ben" said my friend, eve both saw Jim
fall out of the window, did we notf"
Most 8ssuredlY we did, for it could not
have been hallucination," replied.
Days passed, but no tidings of Jim could
we find.
At last we again presented ourselves at
police headquarters, and stated that Jim
had been missing for more than two weeks,
and that something should be done.
They then listened TO US, but would nos
believe anything about his having fallen
out of the window.
The chief delegated detective to look
tiro matter tip, and nc accompanied Us to
the building.
When we arrived there he got up on the
window sill and looked out and said;
''No one could fall out such distance
without being instantly killed; and if any
found. But what is this? Come UP here"
We both got up on the window sill and
looked out he pointed to lot Of tele-
graph wires that ran past the building
some three stories below.
bent5' he asked.
We did look, and saw the wires bent as
if soma heavy body had come IN contact
with them.
Gentlemen, your story may be true,
after all. lis getting interesting. Now
let's Investigate, ana see If he struck those
wires, and if so what has become Of him"
About twenty or thirty feet from where
the wires were bent stood an old frame
house that had escaped the great IRE in
ISL
We then went to the house in question,
and BY means of ladder made a thorough
examination OF the roof, but could discover
nothing.
We were about descending, being the
last.
Before leaving 1 took another look at
the wires and roof, and saw something
shining in the water gutter ct the edge Of
the roof
picked it up, and TO my surprise found
II HtsS d -'-s-Spl-c LltIA- aAt-- AFOA CAeaL-4-
in2tion, discovered Jim's name engraved
upon IL
l called the officer and my friend back,
and told them had discovered 8 cle7g, and
showed them the Masonic marx
We then came to the conclusion Jha:
when he struck the wires with such force
the rebound had thrown hin upon the
roof
But where did he so the