The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-10
A BASE DESERTER
A Russian Student Leaves His
Sweetheart,
PENNILEss AMONG STRANGERS
Ignorant of the Language and in Despair
Pretty Eva Block Strangles Herself
in Pittsburg.

JIG contlnent 10 San FRANCISCO, on MS way
to Constantinople, is young Russian stu
dent who is as morally responsible for the
death of pretty Eva Block, who strangled
herself on Friday morning at the union
depot as If he himself had tied the fatal
towel around her throat. All day crowds
have visited the morgue to look upon the
silent form of the unhappy little Russian
girl, who, enticed to this country by her
quasi sweetheart, was by him deserted in
city OF strangers, without knowing their
language and without means of subsist-
ence. AS the sequel shows, Eva Block was
driven by sheer desperation to take her
ne, and only the Russian consul in New
ork can throw light on the man whose
base desertion of her reduced her to this
extremity.
Alec JagdmanD, an electrician who had
been working for PittSburg firm in Jer-
sey City for some time, was, with his wife,
a passenger on the western express which
lett Jersey City at 6 80 o'clock on the even
ing OF Wednesday. While waiting the de-
parture, his attention was attracted to a
couple at some little distance, who were
having hot verbal fight He observed
they We're strangers and saw from their
attire they were Russians, but thought
nothing more of the matter at the time.
OAoi Wy al ucl sSCuIlaG SSaG iOr EiLISell
ana MS wife, the conductor of the train
approached him and desired to know if he
| could interpret between him and young
foreigner On the platform, Alighting, he
recognized the couple he had before seen
! quarreling. The man was young. not more
than twenty four years of age, about feet
e inches in height and of medium build. A
slngie-breasted oyercoat OF gray and
! black material, with a narrow collar,
/ reached nd acba Iy int ad
SHOES clearly indicated his Nationality.
! II knew at once,n said Mr.. Jagdman, in
, relating the incident, when saw the shoe
that he was Russian. You saw thoss of
the girl at the morgue; well, they were
pointed also. a Kossuth gray felt hat con-
cealed head of jet black HAIR, not long at
the back, but very heavy and long on the
{ top, as could be seen when be removed it
subsequently on the train. His eyes were
black, and the soft down of an incipient
! black moustache and short downy side
I Whlskers made him appear p2ler by con-
trast, very light complexion. Sung across
MS shoulder was a small Valise, such as is
used abroad for carry ing money. This
mans companion was the young girl whose
| BODY Is now lying at the norgue The
stranger was unable to speak English, and
beyond his own tongue, could speak but
! very little French. In hurried words he
explained TO the conductor, through Mr.
Jagdmann, mis- situation. He and his COM
panion had arrived that morning from
Bremen. He at once visited the Russian
consul, TO whom he exhibited his credsn.
tlals, passport, ETC., who transferred him
him to an agent. From the agent he bought
two Pacific express tickets to Chicago His
trouble now was he desired to go through
at once, but the conductor would not allow
him to travel on the western express be-
cause the tickets had been punched for the
Pacific, which left an hour and a
half later. He exhibited two trunk
checks for baggage to Chicago, and
finally, on the understanding that he
would change his tickets at Philadelphia
for the express. He and his young friend
| were allowed on board The couple sat
side by side throughout the night, aud
barely exchanged dozen sentences during
the entire ride. They had seats in the
coach. The young man at first made
| strenuous efforts to induce his companion to
talk, but she resisted all his opportunities
and maintained q logged silence, Finally
the Russian gave up his apparent attempt
to heal over the breach, for quarrel there
evidently had been between them, and
sinking back in his seat left the girl to her
own reflections. When PHILADELPHIA was
reached the stranger alighted to change the
tickets, and on returning brought with him
a package of candy which he offered the
gin, Uub uniS dtGempb db d RECOMMENDATION
only ended in another repulse, for she
jpushed away the candy, unaccepted From
Philadelphia to Pittsburg the pair main.
tanned silence and when East Liberty was
reached the strange couple still held their
iuxtaposition, but otherwise betrayed nc
evidence of each others presence"
MIR. Jagdmann and his wife alighted al
East Liberty, and the gentleman now re.
grets that he did not journey on to the
\ Il hn ,oI To = h. 49,
did the young Russian mention what
business brought him to this coun-
try!" a reporter asked Mr. Jagd
mann, last night when he had narrated the
foregoing.
1--WE had not time for much TALK he re
piled, land indeed | was not curious, be-
yond wishing to help out countryman-
for [ am native of Warsaw myself. He
told me he left Warsaw in company with
the chief Of police and nine officers
understood him to mean army officers, and
that he was one-en route for Constants
nople, and that he had obtained permission
to leave the party and travel to CONSTANT
nople through America. He said he ar
rived from Bremen on Wednesday, anc
had not minute to lose in getting across
to catch the steamer at San Francisco
He showed me two trunk checks, but be.
yond the valise he carried over mis- shoulder
the pair had no baggage
"What is your opinion of him and the
class of society he and the gIrl belong to?'
81 don't think he was soldier because
they wear their hair short, and his wa:
} long, especially on top. He looked to me
J more like student than anything else. A
Russian officer always wears uniform
when on duty. The girl might have be
longed to a good family. She is refined
looking, and was neatly dressed. l was
not curious enough to inquire into their at
fairs, as | did not attach much importance
to the fact OF their being strangers. There
are so many strangers always arriving"
Nothing is known Of what transpred be-
J tween the pair on arrival at the depot. The
wait between trains is half an hour. anG
! the Chicago section runs through from thu
arrival side. Whether the man willfully
: gave the girl the slip by misleading her a!
to the time of departure and went on tt
Chicago, carrying both tickets with him, OF
| whether the girl may have lost her way
, and unable to make herself understood, ha(
been left behind while her companion wa
carried on to Chicago, are questions which
remain matters OF conjecture. The cir
must have been around the depot from
: O'Clock in the morning till she committe,
the fatal deed in sheer desperation at 4 81
next morning. She had had nothing to ca
since leaving New Jersey, for she refuset
to take anything from her companion, an,
so must have been without food altogether
for the 30 kepecks found in her pocket wer
useless 10 her. Let any young girl imagin
) herself in strange country, of whose Ian
guage she was ignorant, without friends O
money, and not knowing where to turn 70
succor, deserted by her sweetheart and be
,, ginning to feel the pangs of hunger, and sh
can find some excuse for the unfortunat
fate of the young Russian exile
|
Fayerweather Will Contest Settled.