The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-10-02
IN MIDAIR
EXPERIENCE OF STEEPLEJAcK
WITH CRAZY coMRADE.
Worker Tells Of the Time When Dan
o'Brien Had an Impulse to Jump
{ and How Narrowly Trag-
+ edy Was Averted.


.'Did you ever have an impulse to
jump Off steeple?' questioned, re-
calling the sensation of many people in
looking down even from housetop.
''pve 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 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?'
Eyes, sir, raving mad, and / was by
him when it happened. l forgot wheth-
er the church was Baptist or Presbyte-
rian, but l know it stood on Sixth
street, near Vine, and there was big
hand on top of the steeple, the fore
finger pointing to heaven.
eve were putting fresh gliding on
this hand. Il 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 chairseat,
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 a shiver
down my spine. Did you ever hear a
crazy man laugh? Well, if ever you
do, you'll remember it. / looked at
him, and saw by his face that some
thing was wrong.
"'What are you doingY said /.
''He answered very polite and steady
like, but his tone was queer. I'm try
ing to figure out hoy long It would
take a man to get down If he went the
fastest way
II thought had better keep him in
a good humor. so l said: IN tell you
what, Don, you brace up and get this
gold on, and then Wen race to the
ground in our saddles
"'That's fair idea said he in a
shrill voice, but I've got better one
Wen race down without any saddles;
yes, sir. without any lines, without
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
Il caught his eye just then and saw
1t wasn't any time to bother about gold i,
leaf. reached up and eased the hitch /
of my line around the hand so l could /
swing toward him. / knew if 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 notice it,
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. l let
go Of the line and dropped back on my
saddle-board helpless, and If 10 hadn't
been for blind luck guess the people
down below would have got their
worth in about a minute But
my hand struck on the toolbox as he
pressed me back, and | had just
enough left to shut my fingers
ON the first tool touched and strike at
him with it. The tool happened to be
a r'onkey-wrench, and when a man
gets clip on the head with thing
ike that he's pretty apt to keep stiIl
for. while. And that's what
OBrien did. He keeled over and lay
there. and did. too. until my head got
steady. Even then 1 guess we'd both
have fallen if it hadn't been for the
lifelines."