CLIMBER OF WALLS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 11 April 1928, Page 5

CLIMBER OF WALLS

BERLIN YOUTH’S MANIA

CHASED ACROSS ROOFS

LONDON. 27th March

The exploits of a youth whose mania takes the form of climbing sheer walls, lias nsTourided the city, says the Berlin correspondent- of the ‘‘Times.' - He escalailril a house-front in a busy city .square and entered tin* window of a fourth-storey Hat, assuring the lady occupant that she. was perfectly safe. She fled, anil lie locked the door. Then he washed, donned an overcoat and gloves, ate half a cake of snap, and threw a picture at the gaping crowd below. Till* lite brigade and a flying squad of police were speedily on the scene, the policemen, ambushing the roof in the event of the adventurer going up, am! the firemen spreading a tarpaulin in the event of his going down. The youth resumed his climb and led Hie police a chase across tin* roofs until he was cornered in a loft. He was taken to a police station, where he staggered the stall by swarming up a bare wall to the ceiling. When lie was placed in a cell the youth climbed the smooth wall for 12ftto tie- window sill, where he sat reciting nursery rhymes to passers by outside. He was being taken back to the mental hospital from which In* had escaped, when he knocked out liis attendant, swarmed up a lolly wall, and escaped. He was reeapt tired next morning. His identity papers gave his name as Prince Joachim ol Prussia, hut. ai-lttnllv his name is Richter.