The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
Louis A. GOURDAIN
MAKES His ESCAPE
Insane Lottery King Flees
from St. Elizabeth'S.
WRITES LETTERS IN NEW YORK
Informs Editor There He VIII Send
Him Copies of Letter 10 Judge Lam
dis-In Letter says lie Has Mailed
Deeds to Property to President
ROOseveIt-GOing TO Foreign shore.

Louis A. Gourdain, erstwhile millionaire
lottery king, who tried for year to
break into the Illinois State penitentiary
at Joliet. and endeavored to get justice
Of the United States Supreme Court to
mandamus the warden of that prison
TO permit him to serve out a four-and-a-
half years sentence, has escaped from st.
Elizabeth's. the government asylum for
the insane. in Washington.
Gourdain was committed to the asylum
on September = last. and was taken there
from the Federal prison at Atlanta, Ga,
which he finally succeeded in breaking
into on June 9, 1907.
The fact that Gourdaln had escaped from
the asylum in Washington was kept
secret and probably would not have been
divulged had not inquiries been made. as
a result Of letters received from Gour-
dain. IN these he declares he is about
to leave the country.
Wrote Three Letters.
The letters from the insane lottery man
were addressed to a New York editor and
10 Judge Lands in Chicago. He in
closed three 2-cent stamps, with the re-
quest that the newspaper forward the let
ters to Judge Lands
The letter to the editor, and one of
those to judge Lands. was dated april
Q, which was Thursday, and the second
one to Judge Lands was dated August
Il, 1907. This was written while he was
in the Federal prison at Atlanta. The
letter TO the New York editor was brief.
II simply said:
By request Of your reporter, who in
terviewed me at the Hotel Savoy Ia July.
1906 am sending you cop. s Of letters
written TO Hon. Judge lands on my
leaving the United States"
In his letter Of April 3 to Judge Ian
dis. he also says he Is leaving the country,
ana evidently seeks 70 justify his escape
by claiming that the legal limit of his
Imprisonment should have been eighteen
months, instead Of four and a half years.
Letter 10 Judge Landfs.
The letter is as follows:
Riggs House, O. G. Staples. Propqietor.
Washington D. e.. April g. 1908
Hon. X n lands. United States District Court.
Chicago ILL.,
Dear Sir. The limit. please. according to The let
Ter aud spirit q The law is yey plain-eightean
months and 500 fine
Inclosed find $50 in currency for tie ape. Have
this day mailed President Roosevelt deeds 70 an
my personal and real property An leaving tonight
Tor foreign shore and with best wishes. very re
5Ttciiully yours. L. A. GOURDAIN.
Gourdain neglected to inclose 500 or
anything resembling the payment Of his
fine
Inquiry in this city revealed that up
to late hour last night President Roose- /
welt had not received any deeds 10 prop
erty or, in fact any communication of
any kind from Gourdain.
Covers Six Pages.
The letter of August Il. 1907 to Judge
lands covers six pages. and is devoted
10 an argument that Gourdain's sentence
should have been eighteen months; that
il should begin June z, 1866. and should
end August %. 1907. How he figured this
out, the letter doesn't explain. He re-
quested Judge Lands 10 order his release
on August 20. 1867, or at least permit him
10 go into court and argue in his own
behalf motion to fix the expiration Of
his prison sentence.
That Gourdain has left the country is
doubted. 1t is not believed he has much
money hidden away, though he had con-
siderable wealth at the time OF his con-
victiOn. He always justified his lottery
on the ground that it was nearly as dis
honest as ire business Of the New York
exchange and its brokers
dispatch from Chicago last night
says that Mrs. Gourdain is in reduced
circumstances, and is working as a seam
stress to support herself
COrrObOrated Here.
Early this morning a nurse at st. Eliz-
abeth's Hospital. where Gourdain had
been confined, cOrroborated the story of
she insane mans escape from that insti-
tuition.
She said Gourdain had made his escape
from the hospital several days ago.