The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1916-06-16
HELD BY A MANIAC
Plight of a SteepIeiack Atop a
Towering Church Spire.
WHEN HIS HELPER WENT MAD.

the Lucky Incident That Enabled
Merrill to Overcome the Cunning
Lunat,. In His Death GrappIe.
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:
Ibid you ever have an impulse TO
jump off a steepleT' | questioned. re-
calling the sensations of many people
In looking down even from housetop.
i've 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 steeple one
day and strong impulse too. He
went mad on one Of the tallest spires
in Cincinnati, right at the top Of it,"
I Went madT
Eyes, sir. raving mad, and | was by
him when it happened. ! forget wheth-
er the church was Baptist or Presby-
terrain, but | know it stood on Sixth
SIlCCl, lIIdl illSs ohu lhOiC "e'o - btS
hand on top Of the steeple with the
forefinger pointing TO heaven.
1--WE were putting fresh gliding Oh
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 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 70 do the smallest thing unless
you're secured by life line.
ut was coming on dark, and | was
hurrying to get the gold leaf on, be-
cause we'd given the hand a fresh
coat Of sizing that would be dry before
morning We hadn't spoken for some
time. when suddenly | heard a laugh
| from O'Brien's side that sent SILVER
down my spine. Did you ever hear
crazy man laugh? Well, If ever you
do you'll remember it. | 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
II thought | had better keep him In
a good humor, so | said, IN tell you
what. Dan. you brace up and get this
gold on. and then Wen race to the
ground In our saddles
whats a fair idea said he in a
! shril voice. but I've got a better one.
| Wen race down without any saddles;
yes. sir without any lines, without
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 so
are you
81 caught his eye just then and saw
IT wasn't any time to bother about
gold leaf | reached up and eased the
hitch Of my line around the hand so l
could swing toward him. l knew II 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 l
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. l
let go of the line and dropped back
| on my saddle board helpless, and If 1t
hadn't been for blind luck | guess the
people down below would have got
| their moneys worth 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 l touched and strike
| at him with It. The tool happened to
be a monkey wrench. and when a man
gets a clip on the head with thing
like that he's pretty apt to keep still
! for awhile And that's what O'Brien
did He keeled over and lay there
and | did, too, until my head got
steady Even then | guess we'd both
have fallen if it hadn't been for the
| life lines.
1.-THE rest was simple enough after
] got my senses back. Dan was I'M
conscious. and all l had to do was
| fasten a rope 10 him and lower away.
| They took care of him down below
until the ambulance came, and he
| spent that night in 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
left him.