The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-12

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the roof No sure thing, to be sure. There
was nothing to get hold of on the roof to
| pull myself up with 1t was not a steep
roof, but it was not a fiat one; and the
| slope was toward me. khere was actually
no way to hang on except by the friction
OF hands. arms and body on the sloping
| roof. 1t was taking long chances on slip
| ping, dropping down into the court below
and being picked up a shapeless and man
| gled corpse. But then if l wanted to get
out / must take some chances. If wait
ed much longer the police would be there.
So pulled down the top part of the win
| dow and worked myself out until l sat On
the sash with my legs dangling inside
Sitting this way could just get hold ofthe
| edge of the roof with my hands. 1t felt like
/ dreadfully insecure hold. With the aid OF
those inside pushing up on my feet they
| had endeavored to dissuade me from the
rash attempt), managed 10 wriggle my
| hands and arms along on the roof until
was standing on the sash with not quite
half of my body on the roof. OH how
| did squeeze myself TO that roof. l sung out
TO them down below to push up on the sash
little.
They were all interested now, and had
evidently almost forgotten about the
police.
To see man killed is not such an every
day occurrence. They pushed up the sash
little, and that showed me little farther
up on the roof. A little more and could
get one of my knees on it. But that little
more! The sash was getting so high up
that it was too far directly under the caves
to do me any good. So l took my feet off
L. - I.
ming, That kick sent me a little farther
along on the roof, and l was able TO hold
my own by the adhesion of my body and
clothing to the roof Another kick at the
risk of slipping off, and little more body
on roof. Finally knee; then both knees.
and safety. My late fellow sufferers
whom | could 10 longer see-gave me
cheer when told them l was all right.
| was in a position then where | could
help any one else TO get out with compare
lively little danger by giving them a hand
and pulling them up. told them so, and
in the exuberance of my spirits invited
them collectively to freedom. But only
one, young man about eighteen and light
weight, was venturesome enough to accept
the invitation. pulled him up quite east
ly. Then together we scampered up on the
roof Of the front building, and cautiously
looked over the coping down on the crowd
which had gathered on Fourth street at
the word that the gambling house was be-
ing pulled" Such is the buOyancy of
youthful spirits that, from being few min
utes before abjectly downcast, we were
actually having quite jolly time; a regu-
lar lark up on the roof. out of harms way,
watching detachmentS of citizens, who had
been caught in a gambling house, march
ing toward the Hammond street station
under police escort. 1t was so funny.
However, when they had all gone we
thought ourselves that we could 20 too
Besides, it was getting late. So we started
to go. The building we were on stood on
the corner, and those TO the south and west
Of it were great deal lower. They were
old buildings, and this was new one
Still, that did not bother US much We
were both active, and all we had to do to
get on one of the lower buildings and
thence to the ground was to slide down
water conductor. Then we skirmished
around for a water conductor We found
three, but unfortunately all were of tin,
partly disjointed and evidently entirely in
capable of sustaining either of our weights
1t began to dawn on us that we might
have to stay where we were all night This
would be awkward again, especially as we
might be arrested in the morning for not
being able TO give an account of ourselves.
We tried several scuttles, but all were
closed, and we dared not make a noise for
fear of being mistaken for burglars and
shot by any one who might be underneath
them. We We're pretty nearly up a
stump" when we found a ventilating sky
light with side windows, to which was at
tached a small rope, like flag halliards, TO-
raising the sides of the skylight from be
low. We pulled up this rope-or as much
of it as we cOuld-from both sides. cut it
off and tied the pieces together. This wa
proposed to tie around a chimney and 90
down on it to the next roof But it was
old and had been exposed TO the weather
evidently long time, and it was question
able whether or not it would sustain our
weights.
We did the best we could to test it, brac |
ing our feet against each others and pull |
ing as hard as we could on the rope, a
small portion at time, until we had gone
over its entire length As it didn't break, /
we concluded it would stand the strain: 50
we made one end of it fast TO the iron brace /
coping. 1t did not quite reach the next |
roof, but it would be a short drop from the |
end of the rope TO the roof. Then the ques- !
ton was who should start first. We agreed |
that as ! was the heavier, if | started to 90 I
down and the rope broke, / might break /
my leg, but he would be left on the roof. !
as he was the lighter. if he went /
down in safety and the rope broke while /
Y - l.
he would be in shape TO call an ambulance. |
So he started to 90 down the rope, and he
made the descent successfully.
Then came my turn. l climbed over the /
coping, but kept one hand held on it, while /
with the other held on TO the small, worn 4
and rotten rope. | hated awfUlly to let 20 4
that coping. 1t was twenty-five or thirty
feet down to that other roof, and Il seemed I
a good deal farther. But there is no use
hesitating Well, here goes. PUNK! Oh,
myl l am down on that roof, but / can't
get any wind into my body. UGH Ugh!
can only grunt. Ny friend comes to my
rolls me around and feels Of my
arms and legs He proDoUnces me sound
as dollar. Meantime l begin TO get
few short breaths. Then my companion
tells me that / had my legs 4scrouched
up, a. he expresses it, when l let 90 the
coping; that the rope broke as soon as l
put my weight on it. and that l came down
ike "a shot out of gun" landing fairly
1n the most frequent resting place Of my
anatomy. That's what so completely
knocked the wind out Of me.
We got Gown all right then, went 70 the
hotel and washed Of the coal dusj Of the
-OOf. But ever since that time | have been
prejudlced against keno.-A.ex L Mcleod
n Detroit News.