Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-10-11
LIFE BATTLE ON A ROOF.

I
Early risers in New York Tuesday
morning, along the lower end of Avenue
3, saw two men in a life and death
struggle on the roof of four-story
building. One was James Kline, who
was crazy. and who had few minutes
before shot his friend, Robert Parezo,
and put two bullets into his own head +;
the other was Frank Blass, who was
endeavoring to capture him. The men
tossed and rolled to the edge of the
roof, gripping at each others throats,
hanging for an Instant half over the
roof. Finally the madman was con-
quered.
Kline is piano maker, 81 years old.
For more than year he has lived with
his brother in-law, Robert PareZo. He
occupied small room adjoining the
apartments of Mr.. and Mrs. Parezo on
the top, or fourth floor of the building.
He had been out of work for months,
and was unable to pay his room rent,
and he could not live at the house of
his sister, Mrs. Sarah Begloff, because
she would not have him around. Pa
rezo who makes fair living at mason
work, was generous enough not to turn
Kline out of his room.
Mrs. Parezo had noticed that Kline
was acting strangely. Occasionally he
would drop into the rooms, and would
cut slips of paper and count them over
and over again. When questions were
asked his small black eyes would shine
wildly, and he would refuse to answer.
All of his talk was in one vein. He be-
moaned his poverty, and cursed the
world for not furnishing him with
riches. He went in and out of his room
at all times of day and night, end some
times returned drunk, although he was
not hard drinker.
As the weeks went by Mr.. and Mrs.
Parezo and Mrs. Begloff noticed that
the glitter in Kine's eyes grew fercer,
and that he seemed more melancholy
than ever. Kline was in his room at 6
o'clock that morning when Parezo left
to purchase groceries for breakfast.
The hallway was halflighted, and Pa
rezo did not see the door of Kine's
room open. He was about to turn the
stairway when he heard Kine's voice
call: Hold on there J"
Parezo did not have time to turn or
to answer. There was the report of a
revolver, and Parezo felt the sting of a
bullet in his back. He fell at the head
Of the stairway, moaning "My God I!
| am shot,"
Before Mrs. Parezo could get from
her bed to the hallway, Kline had re-.
turned to the open door of his room,
and was swinging heavy revolver.
She rushed past him to her husband,
and helped him to his feet. AS they
descended the steps Kline shut the door
of his room. Two more shots were
heard. By this time the people in the
house were aroused, and were assisting
Mrs. Parezo TO care for her husband.
Then Kline appeared at the head Of
the stairs, partly dressed. The blood
was pouring in streams from two
wounds in his head, and was scattering
over his clothing. Kline returned to
his room. Frank Blass, milkman,
saw the blood covered face of Kline
looking through the window. He
called to Henry Schilling, q newsdeal-
er, and the two men pressed through
the crowd in front of the house and
went upstails. AS they reached the
top story Kline darted from his room a
few feet ahead of them and went up a
ladder to the roof. Blass, carrying q
heavy drivers whip, followed, and
Schilling stopped at the roof.
The people, 10 feet below, saw Kline
dancing on the rooflike mailman. AS
he approached the edge the blood
spurred from his wounds to the walk
below. Behind him was Blass, await
ing an opportunity to seize him. Twice
Kline reached the edge of the roof and
spread out his arms, as if to jump. Each
time he retreated A dozen people
were gathered about the scuttle, but
not one went to the assistance of Blass,
who was slowly creeping forward to
catch the mailman.
Finally, as Kline moved for the third
time toward the roof Blass seized him
by the back of the neck. Kline half
turned, and in flash the men were
struggling on the roof. They tumbled
and tossed about, moving closer to the
edge fronting on Avenue B. Both are
stocky men and are we'll matched phys
ically AS they moved closer to the
edge of the roof it seemed as if the mad
man was gaining decided advantage.
A shout arose from the crowd in the
street: 'He's going to push him over !"
A big clot of blood marks the corner
of the roof where the last struggle took
place. Blass, after being pushed face
over the edge, and in such a position
that the people below turned their
heads in horror, made a desperate
struggle and threw his opponent back.
Then he got one arm loose from Kine's
grasp and struck him heavy blow
in the face. The force of the blow freed
Blass's other arm and he jumped back
and quickly snatched the heavy
drivers whip that he had been forced
to drop.
When Kline staggered forward to re-
new the fight Blass brought the but
end of the whip down over his head.
Kline fell as though hit by an iron beam.
He moaned and cried that he had had
enough
Blass, with face and clothing cover
ed with blood from Kine's wounds,
stood guard over him until the arrival