New-York tribune., 1886-05-30
DELANET AT LIBERTY AGAIN.
STRANGE ESCAPE FROM WARDS ISLAND.

TIE STORY OF HIS PERSECUTION OF MRS. wITHER-
BEE-A CRAZY INFATUATIoN.
Ernest Delacourt alias Delanet, French
man. hss been since last November inmate Of the
City Asylum for the Insane Wards Island fester
day morning he escaped and the attendants OF the
asylum have been seeking for him In
vain. Delanct was employed q waiter In the nonse-
hold Lpenard Stewart and served in that capacity for
months giving perfect satisfaction to bis employer ana
seemed to be In every respect Of sound mind Grad
uay however, he conceived most violent affection ior
Miss Stewart, the daughter OF his employer, ana
began to show his affection by tho most
alarming demonstrations. His discharge nat
urslly followed at once but apparent
y fires OF his love not to be easily quenched
He began systematic course OF annoying the young
lady, and the street or wherever she was
visible he greeted her with gestures expressive OF his
boundess regard for her haty trip to Saratoga made
by tho Stewart family to rid themselves OF his
obnoxious attentions failed utterly In its purpose. He
seemed always to bs we'll provided with funds, and
where they went there he followed.
At last his prosecutions became so unbearable that
Mr.. Stewart secured his arrest. On being brought
to court no promised to Ieayo the .u,i Sonntry i,
prisonInen This promise, however nc talied 10 keep
oppcsits the windows OF the Stewart house and again
Miss Stewards afternoon walks were prevented DJ ms
fore the court and this time MS mental abOerration
was vident that he scnt to the Island Hardly had
series OF carefully planned and determined attempts to
escape. Finally he succeeded In euding the Vigilance OF
| ing.up time. Before his discovered he
Lad swuin across the perous stretch OF water
when the hue and was fairly raised he was snugly
hid the boiler OF the burned seawanhaka; that lay
straned island The day he reached
] the mainland and found shelter among friends
OF MIA he n':Spa .aea for France fSrs ana
remained in that country for about five years. Little is
OF his record there beyond the fact that he en-
| lsfpd I'm transferred
another. until his mental deficiency being discovered he
mprsonipent and five years absence had not served
to change crazy notions about Miss Stewart Almost
his to seek her out but he found her Miss
| stewart no longer she had become Mrs. Frank 5.
| Witherbee The ract of rivals success did not
ever he met her In the street Though he had LETT
America a crazy waiter he returned count. All the
in hi. disordersd brain and his first
was to challenge Mr. to 10 mortal somSs
spurned by obdurate parents Oh account of his
sGxeT sStcr whom %n0 the brides Parent. hsd forced
upon the unwilling Miss stewart. He even persuaded
in get ting one OF them his second and the
Of his a haeIse M Ihs eous, dwS We Tent TO-
srrs attorney. and while DeIauet assumed a
a%ds hs friend % c0sr. rsPsaeI syern IN
the aspects OF the IN matter ana ca cd
he set detectives to work to hunt down the
anascd to s. into sn Mr. and
Mrs. Witherbee, nearly frightened her to death:
The servants hearing her cries rushed In and
hustled HIM out OF the house. but permitted him
| to escape He quickly arrested and committed to
to the asylum ards Island hopeless luDatic.
| Ever since he has been there he has been
untrng in his efforts and rs his mind was dc.
| ranged In only one particular, he was able
| to lay most cunning plans. In discussing
| the escape with a TRIBUNE reporter last night
Dr. Troutman the acting superintendent ofthe Asy un.
said that fact that inmates were In no way treated
| escapea At tune during the day are the
| patients under lock and key. Only by constant
superyison can escapes be guarded against For over
three years patient has been In restrained
liberty only at night tho patients locked
| The actual circumstances OF Delanets escape are
known to none OF the attendants. His absence was
first noticed at little after o'clock yesterday morn.
| ing, when the day force came to relieve those
who had duty at night The latter reported all
patients their places Each patient on going TO his
room undresses leaving all bis outer clothing outside
his door Then the heaps OF clothing are counted and
| reports made the result. When the day attendants
found all right but when the patients were called
| out Delanet failed to appear An alarm was at
once sent out and search OF the Island
| began. In escaping he left not
| only his clothes, but over $500 in the asylum
| safe At q late hour last night nothing had
| been heard OF the fugitive on the island
though the authorities were disposed to believe bin hid
in the shrubbery. The police IN New-fork ana Brook
| yn are tho outlook for him. tusboat cap
tain reports having picked up man drifting on raft
near Hell Gate who answers TO Dcsnets description
He was landed at Astoria and quickly dlsappeared
Although the police were at once informed nothing has
/ -. 80 I'M