I have not been able to find an article in newspapers but several people including a long passed city firefighter . Have confirmed this is a true story of the night 2 young boys attempted to steal the supposedly Solid Gold Cross from the top of East Liberty Presbyterian Church steeple , also Known as The Cathedral of Hope
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Liberty_Presbyterian_Church_(ELPC)
https://cathedralofhope.org/It has been Nicknamed " Mellon's Fire Escape" after Its patron contributing family The Mellon's a prominent Robber Baron Bankers at the turn of the century paid the full cost of the church and some Mellon family members are buried with in the church.
http://www.offthebluff.com/history-of-the-fire-escape/
So why wouldn't 2 boys not believe the story's the cross was solid gold instead of actually being plated and plot to steal it one evening some time in 30s. while church was being finished.
Well the story goes they acquired a long thick rope and proceeded to sneak onto the site past the watchman and started working their way up the scaffolding in place and securing a rope to the steeple toward the top when the height became to much and they took a death grip on the rope and started screaming for help.
The Watchman finding them called the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire who came with their Tiller Ladder truck the tallest available at the time and rescued the youth their grip so tight on the rope they had to have it cut from their hands .
It would be neat if i could actually confirm this with a news article and if I do find more evidence I will update you on it.
Ironically it was the very Mellon family who saw to the destruction of the East Liberty neighborhood boosting a plan to turn the business area into a walking mall which turned out to be a disaster of crime ridden abandoned store fronts.
Today Urban Renewal ( also Secretly Known as "Negro Removal" ) is going on and if you lived in East liberty and would return today you would not recognize the area so much has been torn out low income dwellers removed and replaced by expensive tissue paper worthless ugly high-end condos
