Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-06
DRIVEN MAD
By a Tragedy II Condor.
the Once Famous AerOnaut
Now a Tramp

Now a Tramp
When Charles T. Condor played the role
of aerouaut for a wager, three years ago. his
experience cost him his reason. To-day
Condor is a tramp-oue of the variety
EnOwu stew-bums." He came into
Denver Friday morning on freight train
left the same afternoon or evening on a
brake beam to where no one knows.
Condor was once highly respected and
was one of the leading young men of Oak.
land, Cal where he was in the commission
business. He was an athlete, a club mem
Der and general good fellow
One Sunday, in spirit Of banter, he
volunteered to make a balloon ascension in
the stead cf a man disabled. who was to
have afforded entertainment for crowds at
public resort. Some Of his comrades took
him up, Offering wager that he would not
dare togo up on a trapeze. swinging be-
meath the great hot air bag
Condor placed his money, announced to
the park management that he was an aero
naut of experience and was willing to satisfy
the cravings of the crowd by making the
ascent. He quickly changed Sunday clothes
for a suit of tights and was greeted with
plaudits as lie appeared ready to undertake
perilous feat he had not dreamed Of an
hour before
When his friends saw that Condor was in
earnest they begged him to desist, but this
the spirit of bravado would not allow Be-
fore the park management realized he was
sending an entirely Inexperienced man up
in the balloon the guy ropes were cut loose
and Condor with running bound sat on
the trapeze and was a hundred feet in the
air.
number of boys and men held the bal
loon captive by the guy ropes in readiness
for its flight All but one let go as the bal
loon was released. On one of the ropes.
either holding on or being caught in tan
gle, was lad utterly powerless to help him
self and afraid to drop.
Up went the balloon. The people shouted
from below, beckoned franticallyto Condor
to bring the bag back to earth, fearful for
the life of the dangling lad All uu-
conscious of the boys presence Condor
continued evolutions on the trapeze, believ-
ing the tumult below to be applause for his
daring.
The balloon had asceuded over a thousand
feet before Condor caught glimpse of the
lad clinging for life TO the frail rope and
utterly without support other than his own
strength. Then, realizing that the cutting
loose of the parachute would mean death to
the lad, he schemed to get him on the
trapeze beside him
The boy was swinging from a rope on the
other side of the balloon as the wind swayed
1t and Condor found it impossible to reach
him. The only hope was to make the lad
hold on until the hotair bag became suf-
iciently cooled to descend.
4 - a. l.
hold tight; cursed, pleaded, threatened,
knowing it useless. AT an elevation of
nearly 1000 feet the youngsters strength
gave way and he dropped. The fall was
witnessed by the thousands in the park
The little body was mashed to a pulp on
the doorstep of house less than mile
from the park. On the doorstep was an in
valid mother and her married daughter,
who had watched the flight Of the balloon.
The mother died shortly after from heart
failure and the daughter was sent to a hos
pital, insane. There her child was born a
few weeks later.
On seeing the lad fall Condor pulled the
cord which cut the parachute loose. He
came down safely, but was picked up un-
conscious as a result Of his fright.
When he recovered weeks after he was
not right mentally. His business went to
ruin and he took to drink. He disappeared
within year and friends failed to find him.
II was learned he tried to enlist for the
Cuban War, but was refused. What he has
done in the meantime or how ne has lived
is best explained by his appearance as he
reached Denver.
Stoop-shouldered, unkempt, with fraz-
zled beard covering his face, he shambled
to the Union Hotel. The porter put him
out and he sought resting place in near
by saloon, where he promptly went to sleep
in a chair
Where have l beena" he queried with
the unmstakable leer of a mind mentally
unbalanced. why, I've been everywhere.
I'm bum. just common bum. went up
in a balloon once and it was my finish I'd
go up again If there were no kids hanging
to It aud could drop out.
Tell you about il? No, that's dead SOS
the kid Awful thing It was. Ny FIRST time
up and my last till go up to die myself"
Then Condor, the wreck of the former man,
grew silent
DO your friends in Oakland know where
you are2" was asked.
'Friends2 l haven't any since 1 went up.
1 had EN- once, but they've forgotten all
about ne, and want to forget about them.
/ don't want to see any one know"
Where are you going Tonight"
Hit the beam guess. / don't know
where to. Anywhere will do. Good-by"