The evening world., 1894-09-08
JUMPED FIFTY FEET.
Yet Breoklein's Leap from VIM
dow Scarcely Injured Him.
Demented Through Enforced Idle.
ness and His Family'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
piece of glass. and, falling in that,
jumped out of the third-story window Of
his house. 1t was In the big tenement
at 562 East Twelfth street The man
had n fierce struggle with his wife and
son before he could jump. He was only
slightly injured.
Brecklein is thlrty-nine years old. In
til two weeks ago he had been for a
long time in the employ of the Street.
Cleaning Department. as a 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 well
as he could after that, but he acted so
strangely. that two weeks ago he was
laid OFF.
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 Brecklein first came home his
wife went to DR.. Ross on Thirteenth
street. and told her story. The physi-
clan agreed to treat Breckein, and let
the family pay whenever they could.
The man was out of his head a great
part OF the time. but he was not 80 bad
but that he remembered that his family
had to be supported, and he was their
only means
There is a rule In the Street Cleaning
Department that II a man is Off duty for
five days he loses his position. Possibly
this ., rule does srsd not apply to- man who
that 1t did, and when he had been home
for four days he said to his wife in the
You must get the doctor to give me a
certificate saying that I am we'll enough
to go to work. If he does not / will
lose my position and he will never get
So the woman hurried to the Office of
DR.. Ross. When he heard what she had
to say, he shook his head. Nevertheless,
and see what could be done When he
did see the man. he said that 1t was ut
tery Impossible for him to give the
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
That was week ago. Matters went
along In some way, until last night.
when ., sreskein would not go to bed
Mrs. Brecklein said she. would sit up
with him. So she put the children to
bed the only bed there was for them
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
from which she awoke at ) o'clock with
start to find that her husband had
left the window; She looked around.
tn, feeble. rays of the burning lamp
fell upon him. sh. saw him standing
In his right hand he held a piece OF
broken bottle; with which he was hack
The woman sprang upon him. and
knocked the bit OF glass from his hand.
IT, but she tossed It out OF the window.
Then he became frantic. In the strug-
giles OF the man and woman, the chtl-
ened snd Began the to cpS Th sse womas
called to the eldest boy. Robert. thirteen.
and told him to go out for a policeman.
still the man struggled; he got near
to the window once. and tried to Jump
out Another son. Frank, eleven years
f seemed to ss to ses more Hd quiet as
sat down upon the floor. Mother and
son guarded the window, from which
| Brecklein had tried to jump. but they
forgot that there was another in the
room. II was open. too, and looked out
| on a fire-escape over the street.
Suddenly Brecklin jumped up from the
floor and dashed through the window on to
| the fire-escape. With a Shrek his wife
was after him. He was half way over
the rail of the escape when Mrs. Rreck-
lein clutched his clothing. She held him
| until the boy could come. But the mad
man had little difficulty in shaking them
off. and as he did so loosened his hold on
the fire-escape and dropped TO the street
1t was fall of fifty feet. Mrs. Breck-
| lein sank to the floor and covered her
eyes with her hands. II was some time
| before she could sum up sufficient cour-
| age to go down into the street. Then
she found her husband sitting on the
| curb stone with a crowd around him.
| he did not appear to be hurt. There was
| a policeman there. too. All were trying
to find out where the man came from
| and what he was doing there.
! Mrs. BreCklein when she said that her
| husband had jumped from the window.
! At last the policeman summoned an
! ambulance, for he said II the man really
! had jumped he must have been injured.
/ Brecklein would not utter a word. When
! the ambulance came from Bellevue Hos
! pital. Or. Hackett examined the man
and said that both his ankles were
| sprained. He was taken to the hospital.
/ Besides the boys Robert and Frank.
the other children are Katie, eight:
Maggie, fve, and the baby, eight months.
The family is destitute.