The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-06-23
HELD BY A MANIAC
Plight of a SteepIejack Atop a
Towering Church Spire.
WHEN HIS HELPER WENT MAD.
The Struggle For Life In Mdair and
the Lucky Incident That Enabled
Merrill to Overcome the Cunning
Lunatlo In His Death Grapple.

the Lucky Incident That Enabled
Merrill to Overcome the Cunning
Lunatlo In His Death Grapple.
In Cleveland Moffett's Careers of
! Danger and Daring Is this incident of
real life that was told to Mr.. Moffett
by Merrill, the famous steeplejack, to
whom Ii occurred:
"Did you ever have an impulse to
jump off steeple?" / questioned, re-
calling the sensations Of many people
in looking down even from housetop.
1--WE kept pretty free from that"
said he, "but there's no doubt climbing
steeples does tell on a mans nerves.
Now, there was Dan O'Brien. He had
an impulse to jump off a steepie one
| day and a strong impulse too. He
went mad on one Of the tallest spires
in Cincinnati, right at the top of It."
Went mad?'
Yes, sir, raving mad and | was by
him when 1t happened. | forget wheth-
er the church was Baptist or Presby-
terian, but | know it stood on Sixth
street, near Vine, and there was q big
hand on top Of the steeple with the
forefnger pointing to heaven.
"We were putting fresh gliding on
this hand. was working on the
thumb side and O'Brien on the little
finger side, both of us standing on tiny
! stagings about the size of a chair seat
and both Of us made fast to the steeple
by life lines under our arms. That's
an absolute rule in climbing steeples--
never TO do the smallest thing unless
you're secured by a life line
"It 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 a shiyer
down my spine. Did you ever hear q
crazy man laugh? Well, If ever you
do youn remember 1t. looked at him
and saw by his face that something
was wrong
"'What are you doingT said l.
"He answered very polite and steady
like, but his tone was queer. I'm try
ing TO figure out how long it would
take man to get down If he went the
fastest way
"I thought l had better keep him in
good humor, so l said, IN tell you
what, Dan, you brace up and get this
gold on, and then we'll race to the
ground In our saddles
"'That's a fair idea said he in a
shrill voice, but I've got better one.
Well race down without any saddles;
yes, sir, without any lines. without a
blamed thing
Don't be a 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 so
are you
"I 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. l knew If l
once got my grip on him he wouldn't
make any more trouble. But I'd never
had crazy man to deal with, and
didn't realize how tricky and quick
they are While | was working around
to his side and thinking he didn't no.
tice it he was laying for me out of
| the corner of his eye, and the first
thing / knew he had me by the throat
| and everything was turning black. |
let go of the line and dropped back
on my saddle board helpless, and If 1t
hadn't been for blind luck l guess the
people down below would have got
their moneys y orth In about a min
ute. But my hand struck the tool box
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 it. The tool happened to
be monkey wrench, and when a man
gets q clip on the head with q thing
like that he's pretty apt to keep still
for awhile. And that's what OBrien
| did. He keeled over and lay there,
and l did, too, until my head got
steady. Even then | guess we'd both
have fallen If 1t hadn't been for the
| life lines.
''The rest was simple enough after
got my senses back. Dan was un-
conscious, and all | had to do was
fasten rope to him and lower away.
They took care Of him down below
until the ambulance came, and he
spent that night IN a hospital And
he's spent most OF his years since then
In an asylum, his mind all gone except
for short periods, when he comes to
himself again, and then he always
starts out to put an end to me. That
last impulse to destroy me has never
| left him"
| Not In His Line.