A Thrilling Adventure.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 191, 8 July 1873, Page 7

A Thrilling Adventure.

(From the Sydney Erenhiff News.) Five years ago I was book-keeper at tlio Grain Elevator, in the city of Cincinnati. The Elevator is a very large building, being 120 feet in height; when you look from its upper windows the head grows dizzy, and the other houses appear to be unpretending shanties.

One day a lady and gentleman came into the office, and asked to look through the building. This was no uncommon occurrence, as persons were often attracted by the immense edifice, and frequently wished to see it. In reality there was not much to bo seen except dust and a long line of stairs. On the day named, when, in company with the lady and gentleman, I had reached the upper landing, I thought I heard a slight rustle behind some of the machinery ; but I took little notice of it at the time, supposing it to have been occasioned bv the rats.

Shortly after the visitors left, I went for my supper, and returned soon after dark. I had never been required to stay in the Elevator after nightfall ; but the watchman who remained during the night was unwell that day, and I volunteered to stay in his place. The machinery was always kept in motion during the night, and the watchman was required to ascend regularly at twelve o’clock to attend to some part of its movement. I knew that this was all that would be necessary for me to do ; and so 1 laid myself down on a settee to take a nap ; but, before I did so, I gave the engineer orders to awake mo at the time for going to the top of the building.

At the time appointed, I was duly awakened ; and taking a lantern, I proceeded on my upward journey. Truly, it was a lonely, dismal tramp. 1 reached the upper landing, attended to the changes of the machinery, and was about turning to come down, when a wild, fearful yell broke upon my ears. My hair seemed to stand on end, and a cold sweat bruke out all over me. The next instant, a huge form sprang upon me, and I knew 1 was in the hands of a madman.

By the dim light of the lantern I could see his flaming, fiery eye, and my heart failed me. What if he should attempt to throw me from one of the windows ! I knew I should be as a child in his grasp. “ Ha, ha !” he shrieked, “ I’ve found you at last! I have you under my feet—ha, ha ! —and your brains shall spatter the pavement below in less than five minutes ! say your prayer, stripling !” He caught me in his arms, and bearing me to the nearest window, dashed out the sash with his heavy boot. I struggled again, caught at the window, and lacerated my hands fearfully on the broken glass. Then I shrieked with all my power. “Ha, ha ! you may yell 1” said the madman in exultant tones, “ but yelling will do no good. Ymflre a doonu d man I tell you. Your brains shall spatter the pavement in less than three minutes !” I uttered a prayer as I was thrust through the window, and commenced the fearful fall. All my past life rushed before me, and I thought of the anguish of my mother and my bitrothed wife when they heard of my fate. Fortunately, 1 was thrown out of a window below which was a scaffold. The sides of the building were covered with slate, some of which had been knocked oil', and workmen had that day been engaged in making’repairs, and the scaffold was left standing. Of course I did not think of this in the struggle. A fall of ten feet brought me to the scaffold, and I was only slightly stunned. “ I’m safe,” I muttered, in thankfulness ; for I believed the madman would think I had fallen to the ground, and would retire from the building. My joy was of short duration, for the madman caught up my lantern, and swung it out, perhaps in hopes of seeing my mangled remains in the street below. “ Ha, ha ! you’ve found a resting-place have yon 1 Well, you’ll not rest long ; you’ll take another flight and a longer one. Ha, ha !” As he said this ho sprang from the window and alighted beside me. And now ensued a fearful struggle. We were near the edge of the scaffold —I saw my chance ; one of the boards was loose. I sprang from him, tipped up the end of the board on which he stood, and he was hurled into eternity.

1 shrill never forget the frightful yell as ho went over. It, made the blood curdle in my veins. I heard him strike the ground and then I fainted, and knew no more until 1 saw faces at the broken window above, and knew that some persons were making preparations to draw me up. The engineer had become alarmed at my absence, and had come up to see what was the matter.

The in ft d man had escaped from a lunatic asylum, a few days before, and hid himself on the upper floor of the Elevator. Since that night my hair has been as white as the driven snow.