The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-19

AizS RAEGEN was out Of his ele-
rnent The water was his proper
N elem nent-the water of the East
Ill river by preference. And when
il came to running the roofs"
az he would have hinseR expressed it.
he was mot in IT.
On those other occasions when he had
been followed by the police, he had
raced them toward the river front and
had dived boldly In from the wharf,
leaving them staring blanlly and in some
alarm rs TO his safety. Indeed, three
different men In the precinct who did not
know OF young Raegen's aquatic prowess,
had returned TO the station house and
aeriously reported him 10 the sergeant
ne lost. and regretted having driven a
citizen into the river, whore he had
been unfortunately drowned. II was even
told how, on one occasion, when hotly
followed, young Raegen had dived of
Wakoman's slip, at East Thirty third
street, and had then swum back under
the water TO the landing steps, while
the policeman and a crowd OF steve
dores stood watching for him TO reap
pear where nc had sunk. 1t is further
related that ne had then, in a spirit Of
recklessness. and in the possibility OF
the policeman's failing TO recognize him.
pushed his way through the crowd from
the rear and plunged IN 10 rescue the
supposedly drowned man. And that.
after two or three futile attempts to find
his own corpse. lie had climbed up on
the dock and told the officer that he had
touched the body sticking in the mud.
And, as O result OF this 1ction, the river
police drpgsed the river bed around
wakeman's slip with graphing irons for
four hours, while Rags sat on the wharf
4 and directed their movements.
But on this present occasion tho police
were standing between him and the
! river, and so cut Off his escape In that
direction, and es they had eeeu him
strike McGonegal and had seen McGone-
gal fall, he had TO run for 1t and seek
& refuge on the roofs. What made II
worse was that he was not in his own
hunting grounds. but IN NlcGonegara, and
while any tenement on Cherry street
would have given him shelter. either for
love of him or fear Of him. these OF
4 Thirty third street were against him and
"au that Cherry street gang" while
t-Pilse" McGonegel was their darling and
ftheir hero. And, II Rags had known It,
any tenement on the block was better
I than Cases, into which he frst turned,
\ for Case's was empty and untenanted,
4 seve in one or two rooms, and the op-
4 (portunities for lodging from one TO an
other were in consequence very few But
thc could not know this, and so he
plunged into the dark hallway and
sprans up the first four flights Of stairs,
: three steps at g jump. with one arm
4 Stretched out in front Of him. for Il was
,lvcry darl. and the turns were short
4 On tho fourth floor he fell hcadlons over
'fa bucket with broom sticking IN 1t,
hand cursed whoever left IL there. There
Twas a ladder leading from the sixth floor
. 10 the roof, and he ran UP this and
= drew il after him a. he fell forward out
= Of tho wooden trap that opened on the
q 1at tin roof like a companion way OF
tship. The chimneys would have hidden
him, but there was a policeman's he'll
met coming up from another compan-
: lon way, and he saw that tho Italians
Hanging out OF the windows OF tho other
tenemeuts were pointing at him and
Ishowing him TO the officer. So he huns
by his hands and dropped back again II
y was not much Of q fall, but IL Jared
kIhim, and tho race he had already run
s|had nearly taken his breath from him
For Rags did not i've a life calculated
to flt young men for sudden trials OF
,$speed.
~ He stumbled hack down the narrow
@sfalrs and. with vivid recollection OF
tfthc bucket ne had already fallen upon,
st|felt his way cautiously with his hands
band with one foot stuck out in front OF
him, II he had been in his own bail
wick, he would have rather enjoyed the
ptense excitement OF the chase than
I'd Gpthtrwise. for there he was at home
Ind knew all the cross-cuts and where
s,to find each broken paiing in the roof
~ Fences, and all the traps in tho roofs.
y But here he was running in maze. and
y lssIWhat looked Ike a safe passaseway
y might throw him head on into the out
VI ftretched arms Of the officers.
", And while he felt his way his mind
mas terribly acute TO the fact that as
" VET no door on any Of the landings had
: sbeeu thrown open to him, either GU
y. Hously or hospitably as offering place
= (cr refuge. He did not want TO be taken
! shut in spite OF this no was quite cool
' and 80, when he heard quick. heavy
"A fcctsteps beating up the stairs. he
ss@topped himself suddenly by placing e
ppe hand on the side OF the wall and
= NE other on the baniEter and halted.
~ Fsnting. He could distinguish from be-
- lnv the high voices Of women and chill
= rsn and excited men in the street. and
: tH the steps came nearer he heard some
! ONE lowering tho ladder he had thrown
: HfIpon the roos TO the sixth floor and pre-
ring 20 descend. "Ah.' snarled Rae
en. painting aud desperate, you sc
INK you have me now, sure, don't