Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-31
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPATCH.i

covered by the extradition treaty.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATCH.i
NEW YORK, March 30.-Dr. Edmund
Markbreiter, the most celebrated criminal
on March 8 to escape arrest for embezzle-
ment amounting to 100000. He sailed for
New York few days later and arrived here
on the 18th. He stopped at the Belvidere
Hotel for ten days. Last Tuesday morning
he left the hotel with all his baggage and
his present whereabouts, if known at all. is
known only by United States Marshal
Bernhard, who has been watching
him ever since his arrival Up to to-day
the Vienna police have not been able to find
any charge against Markbreiter which
would require his extradition under the
provisions of the extradition treaty between
Austria and the United States.
81 saw Herr Won Palitschek, the Aus
trian consul, just after Markbreiter's ar
rival" said Marshal Bernhard to-day, tand
he said none of the ofenses charged against
him up to now was extraditable. The
treaty provides for extradition in cases of
murder, attempt at murder, arson, forgery
and embezzlement of public money"
A SMART RASCAL.
Sup to now the Austrian police have not
discovered that Markbreiter committed the
forgery or took public money. You see he
was smart enough to keep outside the limits
of the extradition law. He took such big
lot, about $500, 900 at least, that am hoping
he will be found to be guilty OF an extra
ditable offense, and with that idea 1 have
been watching him."
The story of Markbreiter's success at the
Vienna bar and of the crimes Immediately
preceding his downfall and flight, is full of
dramatic variety. He was graduated from
the law school of the Vienna University
about 90 years ago. He was then 26 years
old. He showed remarkable abilities in his
years of preliminary study. He had many
wealthy relatives in the city and a high So
cial position. He secured good practice
within three years after his graduation.
His first great achievement was the de-
fense of man named Troll and his wife,
who were accused of numbering 13-year-
old girl. His summing up in this case was
so powerful that as it closed every one in
the court room, except the judges, rose from
their chair and pressed forward to catch
every word. His practice swelled rapidly
to enormous proportions.
A RAPID SUCCESS.
All the celebrated divorce, forgery and
murder cases which abound in Vienna came
to his hands. His annual income swelled to
S35, 900 and occasionally $40, 0,000-an i'm
mense sum for professional man on the
Continent. He married and became the
father of two girls and a boy. He bought
an elegant house on the Judenplatz, and
gave there entertainments which were fam
Gus for their splendor in the upper middle
class Of Vienna society. In 1870, however,
he had begun to live beyond his means, to
gamble and to speculate on the Bourse.
His losses" says a Vienna correspond
ent, ''were beyond all reason. His relatives
came to his assistance repeatedly with great
sums of money. Notwithstanding all their
efforts, he continued to speculate, lose and
sink deeper in debt. Eventually he turned
to the usurers for aid, and by them he was
plunged still deeper in the mire. The large
income from his practice, the contributions
of his relatives and the subscriptions of his
colleagues were all together quite INSULT
cient to bring to order the chaos of his
finances"
When spoken to concerning the necessity
of curtailing his expenses, Markbreiter
would tell his friends about the big cases he
was depending to swell his income up to
the level of his extravagances. The failure
of one of these big cases to materialize is
supposed to be the first cause of the act
which resulted in Markbreiter's flight.
BLEEDING A PRINCE.
The Prince Sulkowski, who was placed
in an insane asylum on account of his gen.
eral responsibility and utter recklessness
in squandering money, engaged Mark
breiter to get him out. Markbreiter de-
manded $4,000 as a contingent fee. The
Prince thought this too much. Alter hag-
Cling the Prince settled the question by
escaping from the asylum without the help
of anyone at all.
At about this time Vienna woman of
considerable wealth came to Markbreiter to
engage him to get her a divorce. He re-
quired from her deposit of $14, 900 as Sc
curity for his fee. He never took steps to-
ward getting her the divorce, and the woman
says never returned cent of her deposit.
She asked him for the money repeatedly,
but got no satisfaction.
On March l she threatened him with legal
proceedings unless he returned the S14, 900
at once. He did not return it, and on
March 8 he left Vienna. He told his friends
be was going TO Paris on professional 5usi-
ness. He went directly to an English port
and took passage for New York. The first
news of his flight was received in Vienna on
March Is, in the form of letter to the man
he left in charge of his Office. Inclosed was
his formal resignation from the Vienna bar,
'on account OF change of residence"
ANY NUMBER OF CHARGES.
Two formal claims for embezzlement have
been made against him since his flight be-
came known, one by the woman whose S14,-
600 he ran away with, and another by the
heirs of the late DR.. Forster, formerly rector
of the Burg Theater, who accuse him of
having appropriated to his own use money
collected by him for the estate. The Vienna
police expect to find score or more OF SINH
lar cases against him shortly.
DIR. Markbreiter is described by the Vienna
police as "a man AZ years old, married, of
medium height, heavy set, with light, red
dish mustache and short full beard, who,
since some days ago, has been a fugitive
from justice on account of his embezzling a
considerable sum of money"
Those who saw Markbreiter while he was
here say that his trouble and anxiety have
left deep marks in his face. Marshal Berna-
hard spoke of him as "a broken down man
who had squandered in speculation all the
money he stole, and was almost penniless."
At the Belvidere Hotel Markbreiter led
very quiet lie. He passed most of the day.
time in his room. Evenings he usually
went to the theater. No one at the hotel has
any idea as to his present whereabouts. He
at the desk on Tuesday morning
with request for his bill, paid it, had his
three small trunks and a valise packed on a
carriage at the door, and drove off without
a word to anyone about his future plans or
residence.