Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-08-22
DROVE A BROADWAY CROWD WILD.
Little Fire and Zig Man who Wanted
to Jump from "a window.

Little FIRE and a Big Man who Wanted
to Jump from "a window.
Lower Broadway had a small fire aud a
big sensation one evening just at 6 o'clock
when all the clerks, stenographers, type
writing girls and Office boys were either
going uptown toward their homes or down
town toward the ferries The fire waH in
the second story of the office building No.
] 10 Broadway, on the corner of Liberty
street. The sensation was partly In the
third story Of the same building and partly
on the sidewalk below. IL is a dangerous
part of the city, and an alarm from there,
under Chief Bonner's new schedule, brings
to the spot at once about all the apparatus
there is below Chambers street.
The engines and trucks were all there at
COZ, and several thousand people had shop
ped at the sight Of smoke and fame burst
ing from the windows. The crowd had
Just finished being interested in the aged
mother of the ianitor, who was hurried
down from the fifth story and carried out
into the street by her three sons, when its
attention was diverted to u stout, solid
looking middle AGED man in white high
hat who appeared at one Of, the windows
% the third story on the Broadway front.
The man Vazcd down into the pillows of
flame pouring out below him and seemed
20 be uneasy about something. lie shout
ed TO the irenen, and when they paid no
attention 10 him he took off his white hat
aud waved it antiCally. The firemen
were busy just then putting out the fire,
and the stout man seemed to feel that he
was being abandoned to horrible fate.
In evident desperation he pulled back his
sleeves, took OF his hat and threw one leg
over the window sill
The crowd began to yell at him, and hs
climbed clear out on the window sill, hold.
ing on with one hand and waving his
white hat with the other. The crowd real-
lied that he really did contemplate jump
ing, and shouted and motioned to him to
go back. The police quit using their clubs
70 drive the crowd back from the engines,
and shook them instead at the man with
the white hat in Il pantomime threat to
break his head II they caught him On tho
sidewalk He seemed not to understand,
and threw down his white hat, az if he
thought that he could jump easier with
out it. Then he bent over rs if to jump.
The crowd went wild. and the policemen
pranced up and down as though the pave
Ucnt We're too hot 10 stand on, and made
impolite remarks as they shook their clubs
At the man
1t last some dim comprehension Of what
all the shouting and club waving meant
seemed 70 dawn upon the man, and he
climbed back into the room. The crowd
breathsd easier, but only for moment.
Tho stout man simply ran from the Broad
way window to one on Liberty street and
again prepared to jump. II, was seeming
| ly even more in carnelt this time. The
crowd surged ont Of Broadway into the
narrower street, bearing down the police
| lines and surrounding The engines Every
| on" shoutcd Go back" Don't jump"
! "Nou'rc all right or some similar adiura-
| ton at the man. He leaned far out over
| the sidewalk and looked down upon the
! excited thpong. As he did so a tall. burly
man in good clothes and II high hat. who
| looked rs though his lungs might have
been trained on the Stock Exchange,
| climbed on top of hydrant and support
! ing himself on tho shoulders of those
| around shook huge fist AT the man in the
! window and beloved in a voice heard
! above the general roar:
Go back, Won fool 90 back"
! Either the emphasis of this remark or q
| CLEAN Of sense brought the man at last 10
an uadorJ landing Of the fact that he v'as
| in no da1ger, and he again Disappeared
! from the window. He was seen once more
at a window in Broadway but lac did not
attempt to jump. The fircmcn by this
| time had put ont the fire. and the man VIVA
| had canaed ali the fuss presumably can :
! down stairs in n commonplace fashion arG
| walked away. AT any rate nothing mOrs
| wa, seen OF him, and even his meme could
not be ascevtained New York World.