Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-21
TRIED TO KILL JUDGE
Desperate Attempt to Assassin
ate a Chicago Jurist.
ESCAPED BY A HAIR
Would-Be Assassin Thought the Court
Had Wronged Him.
ACCUSED OF BEING A DRUNKARD
Man Gave Odd Reason for the Shoot
ing and is Thought to
Be Insane.

| CHICAGO December 21.-A desperate Ell
| fort was made today to assassinate Judge
| Charles S. Cutting of the probate court
! the assailant being Frank F. Ellerbrock OF
$40 North California avenue. Ellerbrock Is
believed to be insane. Judge Cutting es-
capped injury by hairs breadth ana over
powered his assailant after fierce hght.
| AS the judge entered the criminal court
building on his way to his chambers, Elier-
brock, who was standing in the halfway,
stepped forward and when within two feet
of Judge Cutting drew a revolver ana nreu.
Judge Cutting instantly turned and struck
his assaailant heavy blow In the face, al
most knocking him down. Before Eiler-
brock could recover Judge Cutting GRABBED
him by the throat and threw him back
ward over a steam radiator. where he nelo
him despite the mans desperate efforts to
escape Deputy Sheriffs Broderick ana
Wilson. who had heard the shot, FASTENED
to the assistance of Judge Cutting ana
wrested the revolver from Ellerbrock. Judge
Cutting then allowed Ellerbrock to rise
from the radiator and the man attempted
to attack him once more.
Thrown to Floor.
The two men struggled back and forth
across the hallway, and the judge, with
the assistance of the two deputy sheriffs,
finally threw Ellerbrock to the floor. Ell
lerbrock continued to struggle and fought
until exhausted. He then commenced to
beg for mercy, saying: Don't hurt me;
please don't hurt me-. He was I1ted 10
his feet and taken into the office OF Deputy
Sheriff Steinert where he refused to give
any information regarding himself. he
was taken to the police station, and II
was only after repeated efforts that his
name was ascertained.
Judge Cutting throughout the excitement
remained cool and collected. After seeing
that Elerbrock was safely in custody he
went to his court room and within
few minutes was transacting business as
usual. ,.....-.. - - -
E,llerbrock has frequently been about the
probate court and for some time has-la-.
bored under the Authorization that he had
been deprived of his rights to share In
the estate of his sister, who died several
years ago. He claimed that the estate
had been closed up without proper notice
to him, and has repeatedly appealed to
Judge Cutting to reopen the case. Judge
Cutting told him that if he would furnish
proof that the estate had been improperly
closed he would reopen it at any time.
This was unsatisfactory to Ellerbrock, who
has repeatedly accosted the judge, demand
ing that he be paid what he considered
his share of his sisters fortune.
Talked Incoherently.
At the police station Ellerbrook talked
incoherently about the money he should
have received from Judge Cutting. He
said the matter had been taken up before
Judge Kohlsaat and Judge Patten, both
predecessors of Judge Cutting, and that
they had also denied him satisfaction.
Judge Kohlsaat told me that 1 was a
drunkard and good for nothing said Ell
Textbook 1.-The other told me the same,
and it angered me. 1 could get no satisfac-
ton in the courts and decided to kill the
judge before whom the matter is pending"
In the next breath Ellerbrock said: Il
did not mean to shoot the judge. 1 only
wanted to have him put trial himself.
I pulled the trigger twice. Once the bullet
failed to explode and the other bullet struck
the floor. / did not aim to shoot the judge
at ALL" The police declare that Ellerbrock
Is undoubtedly insane, and will take steps
to have him sent to the asylum.
Pretty Close Shave.
81 guess l had a pretty close shave" said
Judge Cutting on reaching his court room.
II had no idea that any one wanted to kill
me, but when 1 heard the shot and saw
the man pointing a revolver directly at me
l realized the danger. I promptly struck
the man in the face and then seized him
about the throat. ! have no doubt that
Ellerbrock is insane. He laborS under the
impression that he has not received his
share of the estate of his sister. The pecu-
liar part of 1t is that l never had anything
to do with the adjudication of the estate.
That was done by Judge Kohlsaat several
years before / became Judge of the probate
court. / told Ellerbrock repeatedly that 1
would act on his claim If he would only
bring proof that the estate had been i'm
properly closed.