DEADLY STRUGGLE ON A NIGHT ROPE. (From the San Francisco Bulletin,Oct 3.)

Waikato Times, 15 January 1874, Page 2

DEADLY STRUGGLE ON A NIGHT ROPE. (From the San Francisco Bulletin,Oct 3.)

Vii'TLV, did the tens oi thousand;) of men, women and childivn who thronged the public «quare of \gra)n, Croatia, on the l^tli August, anticipate tliao they wore about! to witness a spectacle Mich ai Ims perhaps never been seen before — a mortal struggle in mid-air. Tho occasion of the gathering wai a performance on the tigh)-rope. The acrobat*, Andreas Kolt^er and Francis Pergowitch, were to appear on tho rope, which had been stretched from the fifth story of the courtho.iso to a window in nn opposite house, a distance of 250 feet. The acrobats were to meet midnaj, and then to pass endi qther. When the clock struck 12 the acrobits emerged from jthere respective windows, dressed in tigh/s, and with* out balance poles. Kolter walked rather cautiously, while Pey,>oiwitch come to inpet him from the opposite dircc'jon with a nervous, quick step. At la t they met, ami the s aspens of the tsro.wd underneath changed, the next momant to a feeling of indiscribabie horror. Pergowitcli suddenly uttered an angry exclamation, and dealt Koli er a terrible blow on t e head. Kolier staggered and fell, but in so doing succeeded, in cjjuty4iing the rope with one hand,, while with the other he grasped the left leg of his assailant. Pergowitcli now fell likewise, but pasted bis right arm around the rope, so that he hung upon it in comparatiro security. And now began a life and death itruggle. Kolter, with his right hand, tried to drag Pergowitcli from the rope, while Pergowitcli kicked Kolter with his right foot, and with. bUleft hand endeavoured to loosen hit antagonist's bold. No one was able to interfere, and the result it was easy to foresee, - mitst be the death of on/) or bo(h the acrobats, Al any women, fainted, while string men wept like children. Wbafc added to the general despair was the appearance of Kolter' • young wife nt the open window, from which her husband a lew moments before had set out upon his fatal walk. Her piteouj) Fcreams were heard above tbjjdyi bt'low, and her appeals to Pergowitcli to spares her husband's Hie would have mured the heart of an Apacl.e. Tlit struggle in mid air lasted pert haps a minute, wlien Kolter suddenly uttered a last cry and lost his hojd. He tell to. the "round, striking it violently, and expiring instantly. While' the , eople gathered around' the corpse qf poor Kolter,, his u.urderer on the tight rope msinaued to get on Ins leet again. Witli a diabolical expression on his. face, he uttered a yell of triumph, (he Prefect of Police ordorcd Pergowiteh to surrender. In case he would not do so within live minuter he would be shot down like a dog. Finally lie raised himself to his ieet and" an-J ran quickly to tlje co,urt-liouso window, whtre he surrendered, begging that ho might be protected' from -violence. There was great danger of his being executed by the people, who loudly clamoured that the muiderer'be given up to them ; but the military by a bayonet-change cleased the square. Pergowitcb being asked what caused him to perpetrate this crime, said that there had been a grudge between him and Kolter ever since the hitter had married young Bositti Serganoff, a Polish girl of rare beauty. Kolter, in a tit ol jealousy, had told him he knew one or the other must die on this account. Andreas Kolter was the youngest member of tho distinguished family of acrobats of that name.