The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-11-06

to-day. III BOlnS W SOS VA"SS VI J
there, and don't you try to stop me-"
and he glared fercely at me.
The horrible nature of my situation
with a madman, and about four miles
from the earth. felt the cold sweat
on my brow, and my brain began to 4
reel But with tremendous effort / Z
pulled myself together, for my only /
chance of safety was in retaining my I
self-possession. To attempt to over I
power him was out of the question /
the strength of madman is SO well I
known. My only hope of escape was |
to outwit him. But how? Forced in.
to unnatural activity as my brain was |
by my desperate situation, and by the /
necessity of prompt action, | could |
think of no device or ruse that would |
do any good; | was completely at the !
mercy of the madman.
The hopelessness OF my case para
lyzed all my energies. feltunable to
move or speak, and even the power to
think was almost gone. In my despair
/ glanced at the valve cord. Owing
to the rotary motion of the balloon it
had unfortunately become entangled.
To free it should be obliged to leave
the car and climb into the ring. But
to attempt such thing (even if I were
physically capable of III would be GER
tain to lead to a struggle which would
as certainly send one or both of us out
of the car.
We were now at such a height that
asphyxia was imminent. could hear
my heart throb quite plainly
breathed with difficulty, and horri-
BILE sensation like that of sea-sickness
came over me. The cold was so in
tense that shivered, Notwithstanding
my wraps. The mental strain was ter
rible. / was almost frantic Know
ing, however, that in a few minutes ]
should be unconscious, and that then
all would be over with me, nerved
myself for one last effort.
AS rose from my seat my eye fell
on the grapnel For tunately it was on
my side of the car A sudden idea
struck me, here was a weapon to
hand. It was an awful thought-it
would be a terrible deed. But there
was now no alternative, no time for
delay. My senses were going. l
stretched out my hand, but the mad
man, who never took his eye off me,
had detected my purpose. With sud
den movement he darted forward and
seized the grapnel, but in his eager.
ness to forestall me he had precipitat-
ed himself too far over the side of the
car and almost lost his balance. He
made desperate effort to recover
himself, but seized with sudden and
irresistible impulse, pushed him over,
and with horrible yell which rings
in my ears whenever | recall the oc-
currence, the madman disappeared
from my sight.
Almost mad myself am not sure
that was not quite so just then-I
climbed into the ring to reach the
valve line. But my hands were so
stiff and numb with the cold that /
could not grasp the cord. By kind
OF inspiration which seemed providen-
tial seized the cord with my teeth,
and after two or three tugs the valve
| opened with loud clang, and the bal
| loon began to descend. Thank heav-
en-! was saved My hands being use
less, / was obliged to throw up my
arms and drop into the car, where
lay motionless and unconscious for
awhile.
Ny swoon could not have lasted more
than few seconds, for when / recov-
cred the barometer showed that / was
still in high altitude, although the
balloon was descending rapidly. /
rubbed and beat my hands until the
circulation was restored. Then | set
about taking the necessary precautions
against too rapid descent But l
acted more like an uutomaton than
conscious agent, for seemed in kind
of stupor or trance all the time.
How and where ] reached the solid
earth cannot say. have only dim,
hazy recollection of being surrounded
by crowd of people, Some were
bending over me and seemed to be
questioning me, but couldn't make
out what they said. felt an awful
pain in my head, and remember moth
ing more until found myself in bed
in dark room and my wife bending
over me. This was several days after
ward, and | learned then that had
been brought home in delirious state
and had had brain fever.
When l recovered my friends con-
| graduated me, and tried to persuade
me that as my homicidal act was done
in self-defense it was justifiable. /
hope it was, but can never recall it
without misgivings and horror, and /
have never made balloon ascent since.
--Tit-Bits.
-,. With HIS Fttl-,s1.
Georgia Offender Resents Prosecution
with a hitting Remark.
zone of the funniest things that ever
happened during my connection with
the Georgia Judiciary was when was
FIRST elected solicitor said Judge
Griggs, of Atlanta, to Constitution
reporter.
1.-THE demands of my position fire.