A MURDERER CROSSING NIAGARA ON A SINGLE WIRE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 298, 24 October 1879, Page 2

A MURDERER CROSSING NIAGARA ON A SINGLE WIRE.

Asa Broughton, who killed Covert Bancroft in this place on May 14, and who was arrested in Canada on Wednesday performed, in effecting his escape into Canada, one of the most perilous feats on record. Broughton had a remarkably handsome wife, and he wis desperately jealous of Covert Bancroft, a prominent business man of Medina, He had forbidden his wife to speak to Bancroft, On the day of the murder Brousrhton went home. His little boy was eating an apple, and the father asked the boy serehe obtained the apple, and thrtWd replied that Mr Bancroft had been theija and had given him the apple. This ki to a quarrel between Broughton and his wife and he drove her from the house. Later he went to the residence of Bancroft, summoned him to. the door, and demanded to know where Mrs Broughton had gone A quarrel ensued, and Bancroft, with'the aid of his hired man, put Broughton off the piazza, Broughton drew a pistol and shot Bancroft dead. He then went home; bade his children good bye, and wenlV away. Broughton went to a cousin in the town of Harland. On the Friday after the murder the cousin saw the account of it m the newspaper. He refused Wer to give shelter to Broughton. The latter ' started at once for Niagara river. At Lewiuton a suspension bridge formerly

spanned the river. Sonic of the old wires still extend across the stream at an elevation of 100 feet iibovo it. JBrouglitun, confident that officers were on his track, readied the site of this old bridge. _ Fearful that by trying to cross the river at Suspension Bridge lie would endanger his safety, he determined to gain the Canada shoro by means of the old wires, He sat ron tho bank of the river on Friday night, and at daybreak on Saturday began his perilous crossing. Hand over hand, suspended in tho air 100 feet above the river, he made his way to the opposite shore. The wire swayed to and fro with his weight. Several times lie had to pull himself up and clasp his arms and legs around the wire to rest his hands, which were badly blistered and cut. When about half-way over Bnuighton says lie thought » he mus< lose hold, so thoroughly exliausjL B rijssßjt!& ho. By frequent rests, as stated, he finally completed his perilous When he arrived on tho other unable to proceed further for an hour. Officers Fuller and Allen, who were in pursuit of him, arrived on one river bank as Broughton arrived on the other. Ho went to Hagersyille, Out., where he was apprehended on Wednesday. He returned to New York State without making opposition. He says ho killed Bancroft in self-defence.