The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-02
SHOT BY A
EDDIE GoRMAN MAKES BREAK
FOR LIBERTY.
After Being Committed Under Heavy
Bail for Larceny German Tries to
3 Assault the Huge officer-Runs
Block but Is Hit by Third Bullet
After Constable Fires in Air Twice.

q Eddie German, known locally by the
nickname OF oyster" had the distinc-
tion last evening of being the hrst
prisoner committed to Jail in this city
in the twentieth century. He reached
there last night about 7.45 with a bull
let in his kneecap, which he received
while trying TO escape from Constable
stephen Gilby.
German was arrested yesterday on q
charge of larceny, preferred by the
proprietors OF the Forest House i'll
simpson. He was accused of lootlng
the money drawer. He was hailed be-
fore Alderman Delevan. of the Sixth
ward. and the hearing was held earlv
last evening. The evidence was over
whelmingly against German, several
witnesses testifying to having seen
him commit the theft ,.
Alderman Delevan at the close of
the hearing held German In $500 bail
for trial and committed him to the
custody of Constable stephen Gilby.
with commitment papers to take him
to the county Jail. Constable Gilby is
smooth-faced man of herculean
frame, and it is only necessary for
most prisoners to glance at his huge
form to convince them thai it would be
well to go along peaceably. Relying
on his great strength and on the prom
ise of German to go along quietly,
Gilby did not put handouts on him but
held him by the shoulder.
The "Oyster" is a pretty husky look
ing boy himself. but there was no in
dication in the way he started out OF
4 4n.-
tempt to measure his strength against
his giant custodian's. Instead, he used
the first few moments of his enforced
stroll in bewailing his hard luck and
emphatically reiterating that he hadn't
dun nuthin to nobody" and that
I'm me worst inimy.'
This monologue continued for sew
eral blocks and Gilby, although he
knew his prisoner to be a tough
{ character, had begun to feel a sort of
J commiseration for his charge, when
German suddenly changed his de-
meanor. The two had got in front IF
the Belmont school when German
quickly wheeled around and made n
vicious swing at Gilby. Just at that
moment Gilby was looking straight at
"Oyster," and saw the wicked sledge-
hammer blow in time to dodge. Again
German struck out, and this time hit
Gilby in the jaw.
The blow hurt enough to cause the
constable to relax his hold a triae
Gorman Immediately wrenched loose
and started to run. Gilby called on
him to stop. but he paid no heed and
kept on gaining on his pursuer. Then
Gilby drew his revolver. He fired q
httlI Lat t.,tz h. III. 4. I'll.
would halt him. But German kept on
Then Gilby fired a second shot, this
time firing low so as to hit him in the
legs If possible. This apparently had
no effect except to make German let
out few additional links OF speed.
Again Gilby fired low, and at the
third report German threw his hands
over his head and tumbled headlcng,
Just as he was about to go around n
corner into an alley near Joseph F.
Robinson's house, at 10 Belmont street.
German fell on his face, and said as
the constable seized him: You got
me that time"
Gilby saw that he was unable TO
walk and had one of the crowd that
collected telephone for cab. Livery
man Snyder drove up, and prisoner
and constable rode down to the city
building, where the constable had 10
have assistance in getting him into the
jail and cell No. 6. Then Gilby telA-
phoned TO DR.. Glllis, who speedily ar
rived and made a superficial examin =
ton. The physician found that the
bullet had entered the kneecap Of the
left leg, had glanced downward and
lodged In the bone of the leg. He did
nTf i.,ly N,.t,
let in the cell of the Jail, with it's in
adequate appurtenances for an opera
ton, nor did he favor the prisoner be-
ing removed to Scranton, as he said il
German caught cold he would lose the
leg.
The constable was in a auandary as
his commitment papers made him re-
sponsible for the prisoner and he did
not know whether he would be allowe I!
under the law to take him to the hos
pital, so Alderman Delevan was ap-
pealed to by telephone and the exig-
encies of the case explained. He ad-
.,,vlsad uGilby to consult the hospi NJ
authorities. The hospital was then
n called up by phone, and the head nurse
referred Gilby to DR.. Niles, NJ. D., the
surgeon. who was at his residence IN
StitCt' LII. Mics tOlu tI1lDN
hire cab, bring German to his re 81
dence and then take him to the Emer-
gency hospital.
DR.. ellis made temporary bandag.
at the city jail, swathed the injured
limb in number Of yards of linen and
bunch Of cotton. and the prisoner
was taken to DR.. Niles office.
n After the patient had been taken tc
DR.. Niles's house. the doctor decided
that the best thing to do was to get the
wounded man to the hospital with the
utmost dispatch. He accordingly got
into the cab with German, while Gil.
by perched outside with the driver.
ON their arrival at the hospital the
surgeons decided on an immediate op.
Grafton to extract the bullet. So Cor.
man was put under the influence of ar
,anaesthetic and the bullet probed for
1t was found that large blood vesse
had been cut by the leaden pellet
and the prisoner had bled greatly