The Washburn leader., 1916-11-10
FOUGHT IN MIDAIR
EXPERIENCE OF srEEPLEJAcK
WITH CRAZY coMRADE.
Worker Tells Of the Time When Dan
o'Rrien Had an Impulse to Jump
and How Narrowly q Trag-
edy Was Averted.

Jump off steeple?" l questioned. re-
calling the sensation Of many people In
looking down even from housetop.
"Tve kept pretty free from that"
said he; "but there's no doubt climbing
steeples does tell on mans nerves
Now, there was Dan O'Brien; he had
an impulse to jump of steeple one
day, and a strong impulse, too. He
went mad on one Of the tallest spires
in Cincinnati; right at the trop Of It,"
"Went mad?"
ayes, sir, raving mad, and was BY
him when it happened. forgot wheth-
er the church was Baptist or Presbyte-
rian, but I know 1t stood on Sixth
street, near Vine, and there was big
hand on top Of the steeple, the fore
finger pointing to heaven. ...
I'VE were putting fresh gliding on
this hand. 1 was working on the
thumb side and O'Brien on the little
finger side, both of US standing on tiny
staglngs about the size Of chair-seat.
and both of us made fast to the steeple
by lifelines under our arms. That's an
absolute rule in climbing steeples-
never to do the smallest thing unless
you're secured by lifeline.
ut was coming on dark, and was
hurrying to get the gold leaf on. be-
cause we'd given the hand fresh coat
of sizing that would be dry before
morning. We hadn't spoken for some
time, when suddenly heard laugh
from O'Brien's side that sent shiver
down my spine. Did you ever hear Q
crazy man laugh? Well, If ever you
do, you'll remember 1t. I looked at
him, and saw by his face that some
thing was wrong.
"'What are you doing? said /.
"He answered very polite and steady
like, but his tone was queer. I'm try.
ing to figure out how long it would
take a man to get down IL he went the
fastest way
II thought had better keep him in
a good hum0r, SO said: I'll tell you
what, Don, you brace up and get this
gold on, and then Wen race to the
ground in our saddles
"4That's fair idea,' said he in a
shrill voice, but I've got better one.
Well race down without any saddlest
yes, sir, without any lines, without Q
blamed thing
"'Don't be fool, Dan. What you
want to do is to get that gold on
quick tried to speak sharp.
"'No, sir; I'm going to jump, and 80
are you.'
II caught his eye just then and saw
1t wasn't any time to bother about gold
leaf. reached up and eased the hitch
of my line around the hand SO could
swing toward him. knew II once
got my grip on him he wouldn't make
any more trouble. But I'd never had
a crazy man to deal with, and didn't
realize how tricky and quick they are.
While I was working around to his
side and thinking he didn't notice 1t.
he was laying for me out Of the cor
ner of his eye, and the first thing l
knew he had me by the throat and
everything was turning black. let
60 Of the line and dropped back on my
saddle-board helpless, and IL 1t hadn't
been for blind luck guess the people
down below would have got their
moneys worth in about a minute. But
my hand struck on the tOOlbox as he
pressed me back, and had just
strength enough left to shut my fingers
on the first tool touched and strike at
him with 1t. The tool happened to be
a monkey-wrench, and when man
gets clip on the head with thing
like that he's pretty apt to keep still
for while. And that's what
O'Brien did. He keeled over and lay
there, and I did, too, until my head got
steady. Even then guess we'd both
have fallen IL it hadn't been for the
lifelines."