The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-09-08
JUMPED FIFTY FEET.
Yet Breck,ein's Leap from Win
dow Scarcely Injured Him.
Demented Through Enforced Idle
ness and His FamiIy's Need.
struggled Fiercely with His Wife
and Children.

Whether he was crazed from a recent
sunstroke, or whether he was merely
Respondent because his large family
was destitute, Christopher Brecklein this
morning first tried to cut his wrist with
u piece OF glass, and. falling in that,
jumped out of the third-story window Of
has house. 1t was In the big tenement
at 562 East Twelfth street. The man
had fierce struggle with his wife and
son before he could jump. He was only
slightly injured.
Brecklein "a thirty-nlne years Old. I'm
I'll two weeks ago he had been for O
long time in the employ of the Street.
Cleaning Department., as n sweeper But
on one OF, the hot days of the Summer
he was overcome by the heat and his
brain affected. He worked along as we'll
as he could after that. but he acted so
strangely. that two weeks ago he was
| laid OF.
He remained at home. but did not i'm
prove. He seemed to get worse, for
there were his five young children and
his wife who were absolutely without
support. and at times without necessary
food. Often he would look at his chill
| dren with tears in his eyes; then he
would lie on his bed. motionless, for
hours,
When Breck.ein first came home his
wife went to Dr. Ross. on Thirteenth
street and told her story. The physi-
clan agreed 10 treat Breck.ein, and let
the family pay whenever, they could.
| The man was out of his head great
part Of the time, but he was not so bad
but that he remembered that his family
had to be supported. and he was their
only means.
There is n rule In the Street Cleaning
department. that II man is OFF duty for
five days he loses his position. Possibly
Nnt nY,NNlNF
is sick. Breck.ein, h1wever. believed
bthat II did, and when he had been home
for four days he said to his wife in the
evening:
You must get the doctor to give me q
certificate saying that am well enough
TO go to work. III he does not l will
his money"
SO the woman hurried to the Office of
Or. Ross When he heard what she had
he said he would see her husband again,
and see what could be done When he
did see the man. he said that 1t was ut
, necessary certificate Her husband was
demented, the physician said. and should
be In an institution; he might become
violent at any moment, and do harm
not only to himself but to those about
him.
That was week ago Matters went
along In some way until last night,
when Breckiein would not go to bed.
He insisted on sitting up at the window.
Mrs. Brccklen said she would sit up
, with him. SO she put the children, to
a blanket thrown on the floor in one of
the two rooms the. family occupy-and
sat by her husbands side.
In the early morning hours the
woman, dozed. 1t was htful sleep.
from which she awoke at 3 o'clock with
the %nd ha h She n'f ooked nrou haf
There. at one side of the room. where
III, feeble rays OF the burning lamp
5 In his right hand he held a piece, of a
broken bottle. with which he was hack
ing at his left wrist.
The woman sprdns upon him and
r knocked the bit OF glass from his hand.
Brecklen struggle with her to regain
i; but she tossed IT out of the window.
Then he became frantic. In the strug-
1 giles of the man and woman, the chill
, dren, sleeping in the room, were awak-
, ened and began to cry. The woman
! called to the eldest boy. Robert thirteen.
The boy started out in his night clothes.
sun The man struSgled; he got near
, out, Another son, Frank eleven years
old. went to his mothers aid. At last
the man seemed 20 get more quiet, and
sSn upon the h wndS oT from whes
Breckleln had tried to jump, but they
forgot that there was anot her In the
room. Ii was open, too, and looked out
, on fire escape over the street
o suddenly Rrecklin jumped UP from the
, floor and dashed through the window on 20
! the fire-escape. With shrek, his wife
i was after him. He was half way over
the rail Of the escape when Mrs. Breck-
lein clutchci his clothing. She held him
I until the h0v could come. But the mad
e man had little difficulty in shaking them
- on. and as he Al so locsened his hold on
the tlre-escape and dropped to the street.
= IT was a fall Of fifty feet Mrs. Breck-
u lein sank TO the floor and covered her
4 ewes with her hands. 1t was some time
before she could sum up sufficient cour-
I age to 60 down into the street. Then
5 she found her husband sitting on the
1 birthstone with crowd around him.
70 ne did not appear TO be hurt. There was
policeman there, too. All were trying
=. to lind ont where the man came from
! and what he Was doing there.
T. For while they would not believe
! Mrs Brccklein when she said that her
X husband had jumped from the window
r. At last the policeman summoned an
[ ambulance, for he said II the man really
e had jumped he must have been injured.
L BreCklein would not utter n word. When
the ambulance came from Bellevue Hos
I pital, DIR. Hackett examined the man
I and said that both his ankles We're
k sprained. He was taken to the hospital
/ Besides the boys Robert and frank.
the other children are Katie eight;
Maggie five, and the baby, eight months.
The family is destitute.