, 1897-09-24
A DARING RESCUE.
Nike Drissel Outdoes the Champion
Third District Liar.

The officers OF the Third district had
just come back from the fire on South
Twelfth street when the same stran-
ger, still wearing Capt. Young's hat and
smoking Sergt. Lyons pipe, came into
the station. He had just been shaved,
and, although his linen was not i'm
maculate, he looked bright and fresh.
The fire had suggested to one OF the
men another fire, and that fire a rescue.
and that rescue another, and so on. And
then Mike Drissel. noticing the stran-
ger, thought it would be a good oppor-
unity 10 get back at him for the rat
and elevator stories.
The stranger had been listening to the
stories OF wonderful rescues, and as
Sergt. Allen finished a particularly
thrilling tale the stranger arose and,
sauntering over to the desk, pulled open
a drawer. took out a chew. sat down
gracefully IN the table.
Perhaps, gentlemen. you Will not be-
lieve me, but-'
But Drissel had determined to get
even, and he interrupted the stranger.
The most thrilling, sensational and
daring rescue from a burning building
hat l ever saw" said Mike, winking at
he other officers, was on July 4, 1886.
At that time l was catching for the old
Browns, and we were stopping at the
Benton hotel in Chicago. We had play
ed a double-ender with the White
Stockings as they were known then.
and as | caught both games l was very
tired. and after I went to bed I slept
like a log. The rest OF it, how I was
awakened by the smoke and narrowly
escaped. wouldn't interest you. I'll go
On with the rescue.
We'll, after l got out l found some
Of the other boys. and We were standing
on the corner watching the fire. The
whole building was a mass Of flames,
but as it was thought that every one
had escaped we looked upon the whole
hing as a joke. a sort of fitting pyro-
technic display to celebrate our winning
both games. But suddenly a murmur-
one of those that make your blood creep
came from the crowd. We looked up
and there on the window ledge on the
l4th floor stood a woman with a baby
in her arms. Back Of her all was dark
ness. 80 We knew the fire had not yet
reached her room, but it was only a mat
ter OF a few minutes, as the flames were
shooting from every other window in
the building.
al that moment a man in a full
dress suit, with three fOur-carat dia-
monds in his shirt front, a heavy gold
chain on his vest, and carrying a gold.
headed cane, studded with diamonds
. rushed on the scene. That is my wife!
he shouted. "A hundred dollars to the
Z man hat saves her. and he unscrewed
one of the diamonds and handed it tc
a policeman as a guarantee OF good faith
Just then we saw a slender young mar
push his way through the crowd. TT
take you up he shouted, pale with ex
element. Done yelled the husband
I'll be in the Bonanza saloon il yoy
succeed Then both disappeared.
Two minutes later the crowd saw
; the Young man on the roof of an IS.
. story building across the street. The,
: saw he carried a coil OF rope at his belt
and, unwinding 1t, he threw it, with TIL
: accuracy OF a cowboy, to the or
the window ledge. We could see by his
motions that he was telling her what IL
: do, but could hear nothing. But Shit
: could. it was plain. for she d~isappearet
= in the room. Then she came to thu
window and made a signal. He begar
: 10 null the rome in until it was taut. ant
, at that moment the crowd realized, he
was going to walk across.
That is lust what he did do, steppinf
as gracefully as Thought he was in E
5 hall room. He reached her. nut on,
arm around her and the other arount
: her baby. Then began the hard fri,
j., backward. for the rome was at an acutt
t angle. Slowly, carefully. he made hi:
a way. the crowd holding its breath. for i
: looked as il they would fall at ever,
step. But they didn't. and lust as the,
reached the roof the fire. which hat
burned into the room where the woman
was, burned the rope, and the charret
g end fell into the street. Then. makiuf
"