The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-16
OKLAHOMESs RATHER LIKE 1T.
How the Two Deputies Who let the Pris-
oner Esca pc Feel About II.

New York. July 1.-THE escape Of
John z. Bittel, the Oklahoma counter
feiter. from Deputy Marshal VIII q.
Nix and Frank Merrick, a territorial
guard, on Thursday night, has afforded
quite as much amusement TO the New
York newspapers and the reading pub
iic as the recent departure Of the three
postofiice thieves from the Ludlow
street Jail. Bit.efs escape rivals in
simplicity that Of Artemus Wards pi-
rate. who, after being confined for sew
enteeD years in a lOathsOme dungeon,
without food or drink, conceived the
happy idea Of opening the window and
getting out. The facts. as they are re-
rited by Frank Nerrick, are as follows:
'Bittel is well connected in Kansas
City. He has a brother there who is
said to be a prominent and well-to-dO
business man. John e. Bittel is the
black sheep Of the family. Merrick says
he is a natural born fool, but that is
iIpmaterial. Bittel turned up in Okla
lloma some mOnthsSa ago as a counter
feiter, and for sOmei time was success
full But eventually he was run down
in the brush and caught. He was tried
at Saltwater. and sentenced to seven
years in the penitenfiary. +. d. Nix,
the United States marshal at Guthrie,
delegated his brother. who is his chief
deputy, to conduct Biftel to Brooklyn
and lodged him in the Kings county
penitentiary. AS an extra precautiOn
Frank Merrick, a reporter on the Guth-
RE Leader. was given a guards COM
mission and instructed to accompany
Bittel and VIII Nix.
Neither Nix nor Merrick have ever
been east. The FORMER concluded to
bring Mrs. Nix along to see the sights
in New York. The party started from
Guthrie on Monday last and arrived in
New York at 9:15 o'clock Thursday
night On the recommendation of
friends Nix went to the Cosmopolitan
hotel, intending to leave Mrs. Nix be-
fore proceeding to Kings county peni-
Tertiary. Bittel had been well treated
en- route.
I'VE took the handouts and chains
off in the daytime" said Merrick in
telling the story, lin order not to HUI
initiate John any more than possible. At
night we chained him TO the railroad
seat. When we went into the dining
car we took him with us, and whenever
he wanted a drink We bought it for
him
In fact. the deputy marshal and Mer-
rick treated Bittel like real gentle
man." When they reached the Cosmo-
politan hotel the clerk assigned them to
rooms on the second floor. Bittel was
hungry. and so were the others in the
party, SO Deputy Nix decided to order
a light meal for all hands before tax
ing his prisoner TO Brooklyn. Nix Mrs
Nix. Bittel and Merrick were on the
way To the dining room. when the coun-
terfeiter escaped. There is a turn in the
stairway leading from the second floor
to the corridor. Mrs Nix was in front
and had just made this turn. Bittel
came next. with Nix Immediately be
hind. Merrick brought up the rear
Merrick turned back to try the door of
his room. Nix turned to see what had
become of Merrick. He says his head
could not have been turned more than
ten seconds. When he and Merrick
looked around again Bittel was no
where To be seen. They rushed into the
ching room. expecting to find him
IRE. hut the bird had flown. There
sc a number Of ways in which the
connterfeiter might have escaped. He
could have walked down the stairway
and ont to the street. lie could have
entered the elevator. and in this way
reach the basement. \ third exit was
through the open court way in the mid
die Of the hotel. The main fact. how
ever. is unchanged. He escaped, and is
still a large Nix reported the matter
to Chief Conlin at once. and a general
alarm was sent out. with full descrip-
ton OF the prisoner.
htlitCh inns evening too the Story ~
the escape as il really occurred. He
said Nix and he felt badly over losing
Bittel. but at the same time they had
nothing 70 blame themselves for. Mer-
rick is enjoying the notOriety occasion
ea by the escape. The newspapers to-
day describe him as "a typical west
erner. with Song curvilinear legs. that
look as II they had been nodded over
the back Of = bronco" and a fair tyne
of the western cowboy. who wears a
wide eXpanse Of felt on his head and
leather saspenders." and severa. Of the
dailies publish dialect Interviews with
Ierrick. which he Tepudiatcs. As a
matter Of fact, young NIerrick bears
little resemblance 10 4 cowboy He is
A faiT-haired. neatly dressed young fell
low. who affects yellow shoes and fac
tory made cigarettes. Both he and Nix
have much 10 learn in the detective
line. but they are young and have the
world ahead of them
The boys told me before we left"
said Merrick, never II come back 20
Guthrie II we lost Bittel I guess this
thing will cost me a years salary l
will have 10 set en- up for the whole
town TO square myself"