Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-04-13
FOUGHT LIKE A FIEED.
A Chicago Man Has Fearful Struggle With
Crazy Friend on the Roof of a Six
teen Story Building.

CHICAGO, March 31.-Alone on the
top of sixteen-story building, the
Great Northern hotel, save for the
company of mad man, who iercely
strove to hurl him over the edge, was
the experience OF George Doyle, OF Chi
cago, today. and to his quick wit,
rather than to his strength, he owes
his life. One week ago yesterday Al
bert Gedney and his son Robert, IA
young man, registered from Philadel-
phia. Thursday the elder Gedney
went to Omaha on business, leaving
his son in Chicago. Residing at the
hotel is one George Doyle, a former
Philadelphian, who had known young
Gedney in his youth. Naturally they
were much together and yesterday
Gedney, forgetting or not realizing
that the hotel was one of the vantage
view points of the city, proposed that
they go to the Masonic Temple to take
look out over the city. Finally they
went to the roof of the new hotel.
They stood for some time looking over
the city, when suddenly Gedney gave
a strange laugh, and grabbing Doyle
by the hand he began pulling him
across the small square and back
again as if the cool breeze had exhilia-
rated him to playfulness. Then he
said, "Hold my hand; L want to look
down." Doyle did so and he gazed
over the side at the people, who looked
like pigmies below. Then with bale
ful light in his eyes and with strange
earnestness in his voice, in contrast
with his recent playfulness, he said:
"You've got to jump off the building
or I'll throw you Off" For the first
time it came back to Doyle's memory
that Gedney had several years ago
been treated for n mild form of insan-
ity in an asylum at home. His first
impulse, as the sickening realization OF
the situation came over him, was to
call for help, but Gedney is larger and
stronger than he and such a policy
might have meant almost instant de-
struction.
He tried to temporize and treat the
matter as joke. "Will you jump?''
said Gedney, and without waiting for
reply he seized Doyle and began to
drag him toward the edge. Doyle
fought with the desperation OF despair
| 4 81 IL .lD1aIty lanl-a1 tr
gether, staggering to and fro over the
roof. Twice Doyle trip ped him and
| they fell together, and twice Gedney
broke away only to renew the attempt
to hurl Doyle to the pavement far be
low. Rober Haslam, a wine merchant
who has an Office in the upper
floor OF the Monadnoc building
Just across the street, saw the mel
struggling and watched them for few
minutes thinking that they were mere
ly in sport. He soon saw, however
that the desperate struggle was on
of life and death, and rushing acros
TO the hotel he informed MIR. Eden, tn
proprietor, and accompanied by
porter, the men started for the rool
When they reached the stairs leadin
to the roof Doyle, bareheaded, cam
hoWn. IIc was "Coh oh
excited, and almost fainting fell gains
the porter. His clothes torn from bi
back and his trembings bore witnes
to the fearful deal he had undergon,
Gedney was walking calmly aroun
the roof when Mr.. Eden put his hea
out of the scuttle, and pleasantly IL
vited that gentleman to come out an
see the city, but Mr.. Eden decline
| H,a lad in ,att Ga.
ney to come down for the purpose {
taking a drink. Mr.. Eden and Nj
Haslam finally got him into a rooi
ing to throw Doyle off the roof. Il
seemed surprised at first, but laughe
and said it was only a joke. Neve
theless he was locked in security an
o his father te.egraphed for. Whe
DOYLE was able to talk he gave
lgraphic account of his fearful fight fo
life, and when informed that Gedne
claimed it WAS only a Joke, he sal
% passing his hand nervously over b
face, to which the natural color ha
not yet returned, although it was Sc
eral hours after the occurrence: "Jok
was it? Well. l would give my hop
OF heaven rather than go through SUE
% a pleftsantrN ior dSecohu tihhe- II WI
: no joke to me. whatever 1T may ha'
been to him. / fought as 1 new
fought before, as had no idea l
any other man could fight. tell W
If my life grew mighty sweet TO me VIII
"a thought of being tossed sixteen ste
Il, les down to "A granite pavement. On
u we were within four feet of the edge
thought he had me. | gripped o
hand in his and closed the othes {