Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-12-28
TRIES TO MURDER
CHICAGO JURIST.
Crazed Man Attempts Twice to Kill
Judge Charles S. Cutting in
Courthouse.

CHICAGO, ILL.,. Dec. 2I.-A desper-
ate effort was made today TO assassiuate
Judge Charles s. Cutting of the probate
court, by Frank H. Ellerbrock, $40
| North California avenue.
The would-be assassin is believed to-
be insane. Judge Cutting escaped iu-
jury by hairs breadth and overpow-
| cred his aSSailant after fierce fight.
AS the judge entered the criminal
court building ON his way to his cham
! bcrS, Ellerhrock. who was standing i'll
the hail way, stepped forward and when
but two feet distant drew a revolver and
! fired point blank 1T the judge.
Fights His AS6ailant.
| Judge Cutting instantly turned and
| struck his aSSaiant Il heavy blow i'll the
| face almost knocking him down. Before
! EllvrbrncN could recover Judge Cutting
| grabbed him by the throat and threw
| him backwards over IL steam radiator
! where he held him despite his efforts to
| escape.
deputy ShcrifTs Brodericl and Wilson.
| who had heard the shot, FASTENED to the
assistance OF Judge Cutting and wrcsted
! the revolver from Ellcrbrock.
Judge Cutting then allowed Eller-
| brock TO rise from the radiator and the
man attempted to attack him once more.
1
across the hall way and the judge with
the assistance of two deputy sheritfs Ii
nalIy hurled Ellerhrock to the floor.
Judge Remains Calm.
The man continued to struggle c1d
| fought until exhausted. He then COM
mcnced to beg for mercy, saying:
Don't hurt me, please don't hurt
me-"
Judge Cutting throughout the excite
fnI
seeing that Ellerbrock was safely in
custody he went on to his court room
and within Il few minutes was transact
ing bdsiness as usual.
Victim of Hallucination.
Ellerbrock has frequently been about
the probate court, and for some time has
labored under the hallucinaton that he
had been deprived of his rights to Il
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 ac-
c0stcd the judge, demanding that he be
paid what he considered his share ct
his sisters fortune.
At the police station Ellerbrock talked
in an incoherent manner about the
money he should have received from
Judge Cutting. lie said the matter had
been taken up Batorc Judge kohlsaat
and Judge Patt"&, both predecessors of
Judge Cutting, aad that they had also
denied him satisfaction.
Strange Mixture of Talk.
Judge Kohlsaat told me that l was
a drunIard and good for nothing" said
lIIlerbrock. The other Judge told me
the same and it angered me. | could
get no satisfaction 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,
| only wanted to have him put on trial
himself | 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"
Assailant Indicted.
The assault upon Judge Cutting was
called to the attention of the grand jury
which was in session at the time and in
dictment was promptly returned charg-
ing Ellerbrock with assault with dead
ly weapon and with attempting to kill.
Il guess | had pretty close shave"
said Judge Cutting. Il had no idea that
any one wanted to kill me, but when /
heard the shot and saw the man pointing
a revolver directly at me | realized my
danger. | promptly struck the man i'll
the face and then seized him about the
throat.
Got the Wrong Judge.
81 have no doubt that IIlcrbrock is
insane. He labors under the impression
that he has not received his share in
the estate of his sister.
"The peculiar part Of it IS that / never
had anything to do with the adjudica-
ton of the estate. That was done by
Judge Kohlsaat several years before /
became judge of the probate court.
told Ellerbrock repeatedly that | would
act on his claim if he would only bring
proof that the estate had been improper
ly closed"