New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-03
A WILD PLAN OF ESCAPE
TOO DESPERATE FOR AN INNOCENT MAN
THE RUSSIAN " NoBLEMAN" UNMAsKED-hoi'A
BY LEAP FOR LIBERTY.


BY LEAP FOR LIBERTY
Stanislaus Bortlziewitch, the Russian who WAS
arrested on Thursday in Maiden Lane Win se'
eral stolen rings in his possession, MADE uc'-
nerate effort 10 escape Yesterday morning as hc
was being taken from the Old Slip police stauoh
to the Central Office The prisoner WIS VI
the custody of Detective Nugent ana "aS
| not handcufed The failure of the detective !"
nut the nippers" on him was surprlslng' peo"u''
| Bortxiewitch tried TO escape by jumping through
window of the Old Slip police station on lnui'
| day. An iron grating outside the wihdo" pi'
| vented the escape of the man on that occasioh
| Bortkewitch was to be arraCned at ule lo"p'
| Police Court yesterday afternoon. pnt Capr'"i
| Mel auqhlin had orders to send him to PoNce
| Headquarters in the morning, as the husSi""
nicture was wanted for the Rogues' Gallery, ana
INSPECTOR Byrnes had arranged to have inc pho'o-
| craph taken. Nugent took the prisoner on an
| elevated train at Hanover Square. Ihey SiC
together in the last car of the train, and the nus
| sian seemed TO be in docile mood Inc
other passengers in the car seeing no hdndcuhS
ON the Russian, did not suspect that he was
under arrest.
When the train reached the Houston-st. station
| ON The east side Of the Bowcry Nugent led his
prisoner off the car holding him lightly by
the sleeve number Of other passengers alighted
an the station, and Nugcnt hid back, so that
he and his prisoner were the last persons 10
leave the rear car. Tie intended to place hand
cuffs on Bortkewitch before taking him down
from the station. Just the train started
again the Russian suddenly jcrlIed his ann away
from the detectives grasp and ran swiftly along
tho platform of the station. His
plan of escape had been thought OFT
carefully, and until the instant when he started
to carry it into execution, he had acted in such
a listless, Indifferent way as TO throw the de-
tective off his guard. lie expected TO escape by
running the entire length of the platform and get
ting on the train again while it was in motion.
and he nearly succeeded Nugent understood his
purpose instantly, and ran swiftly after the Rus
sian, intending also TO jump Oh the rear end Of
the train, if necessary
Close to the northern end OF the platform
Bortluewitch caught hold Of the gate AT the
front end of the rear car. but the guard pushed
him back. Nothing daunted the Russian
through "a window lie broke the glass
with his elbow, but he lost his hold because the
train had got fairly under way and was going too
fast.
Bortlliewitch was near the railing at the north
end Of the platform when the train passed beyond
his reach, and the detective was again close at his
heels but he instantly adopted last desperate plan
| of escape. Running quickly down the short flight
of steps at the end of the platform leading to the
| track, he jumped over the guard-rail at the side
Of the track and let himself drop toward the side
walk in the BOwcry. lie fell upon several tele-
graph and electric light wires which are strung
along over the sidewalk at that point. FOrtu-
natcly for him, there were no deadly currents in
| the wires, or the insulating coverings protected
| him, and he did not receive shock. He was en-
tangled in the wires, and it took him two or three
minutes TO diSengage himself When he finally let
60 the wires he fell heavily his hands and knees
on the sidewalk
He broke one kneecap and cut cash in his
other knee and was helpless when De-
tcctve Nugcnt ran down from the sta
| ion. With his clothes torn and muddy,
i the Russian presented sorry appearance. lie
| was carried 10 the edge OF the sidewalk and placed
| IN sitting position, with his back against some
| beor-barrels while the detective examined his
| prisoners injured knees The attempt to escape
| created much excitement in the Bowery. and
| tl'c police thad difficulty in keeping the
crowd from pressing too closely upon the injured
man: An ambulance was called. and Bortue-
| witch was removed 10 Bellevue Hospital
| The rings which the Russian had in has posses
| sion when he was arrested were stolen from th'
| room Of Augustus G.. Paine at the Buckingham
| Hotel, but BOrkicwitch had not been seen about
! the hotel. II is believed that he Is the man VINO
| stole articles from several uptown boarding,
| houses recently. Now that HIS character rs thiel
| is beyond dispute, the police have no doubt thht
| he really did steal Miss Annie Browns pocket
book in the Equitable Building, although I've was
acquitted on that charge last month His pre-
tence 10 be Russian nobleman is believed TO De
on par with his professions Of innocence.