Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-28
LEAP FOR FREEDOM
NeureSS Prisoner Jumps From
Court Window to Pavement.
DROPS SIXTY FEET UNHURT
Picked Up Moaning, But Hysteria
Her Only Trouble. q.
JUSTICES BUSINESS HALTED
Had Been Arrested and Convicted of
Intoxication and Disorderly
Conduct,
DROPS SIXTY FEET UNHURT
JUSTICES BUSINESS HALTED

In a desperate effort to escape from the
Police Court pens this morning. Gertrude
Brown, a negress. twenty Eight years old.
who gave her home address as kensing-
ton, Md, made avid leap from rear
window of the court building to the
ground, a distance of sixty feet.
Court bailiffs and attendants ran to the
womans assistance. She was picked up
and conveyed to the Emergency Hospital
in an ambulance.
There she was subjected to careful ex-
animation. So far as could be ascer-
tanned her injuries were slight. She was
suffering most from hysteria.
The incident occurred about 10 o'clock
in the morning, just when both branches
of the Police Court are in full session.
For a while pandemonium reigned. The
business Of justice was interrupted while
court officials, police, witnesses and spec
tators rushed below stairs and out doors
to where the woman lay in heap on the
ground.
Appeared to Be Dying.
The woman was lying PROSTATE appar-
emily in a dying condition. That she
escaped injury was information received
with incredulity by those who picked her
up.
Her injuries consisted of several contu-
sions about the abdomen and left arm.
Informed Of the distance the woman had
dropped. the physicians at the hospital
expressed establishment.
There were fully a dozen who witnessed
the jump. Each described 1t as DELHI
crate effort to escape, regardless of con-
sequences.
Climbing out on the window ledge. the
hmm od fln nil FIR
moment. Then, turning her head as
though to judge the distance to the
ground. she lOosened her hold and shot
like bullet to the pavement beneath. AS
Apparently semi-conscious and moaning,
she was picked up by the court attendants
and loaded into an ambulance. Then she
regained her senses.
The ambulance made record run to
the hospital. where the woman was quick
ly placed on an operating table. Internal
injuries may develop, the physicians state,
but from the thoroughness Of first exami-
nation this is deemed most unlikely. They
exerted their principal efforts to reduce
the patients hysteria.
Girl Saw Her Drop.
Among those who witnessed the at
tempted escape was Miss Pauline Perry,
the stenographer of p. w. Frisby. an at
torney-at-law, whose Office is directly op-
posite the windows of the court pens
from which a clear view could be obtained
Of the window from which the Brown girl
jumped and the spot where she landed.
EARLY this morning-I should say about
half-past 8" said Miss Perry. Il saw the
woman come to first one. then the other
window of the court pens. and shake the
bars desperately. possibly half dozen
times, and then go way. Once or twice
after that she returned and did the Same
thing.
'She seemed to be crying. looked at
her pretty hard. About half-past she
went away. I did not see her again until
just before she jumped.
About 10 o'clock. or a little after. my
attention was attracted to the window
just to the south Of the court pens by the
tearing OF wire screening. 1 looked up. to
see the woman climbing out of the win
dow hurriedly.
"She sat for a moment on the sill. and
then gradually lowered herself until she
was banging by her hands. She was pos
sibly in this position for a minute or
more.
Il realized she was going to let herself
drop, and called to her several times. Mr.
Frisby did the same thing. It didn't seem
to have any effect, however.
Just as soon as she heard us she
looked downward and then let 60. She
lay there as though she were dead
"A little boy who was in q witness
room downstairs. saw her lying there
and gave the alarm In the courtrooms. 1t
wasn't long before the bailiffs and others
came to her assistance and carried her
into one of the cellar rooms"
An Investigation by the court officials re-
vealed that the Brown woman had en-
tered the toilet of the womens room In
the court pens. carefully locked the door
behind her. and then proceeded to tear
away light wire screening which sepa-
rated the toilet from a small entry which
leads directly to the window from which
she jumped.
the pens say the thing was done SO rap
idly and SO quietly they did not know
had happened until the alarm
was given.
Convicted in Court.
The woman was brought into court this
from the eighth precinct, charged
with being drunk and disorderly, and was
arrested about o'clock in the mornine.
in conjunction with another girl, Cora
Berry.
They were arrested by Policeman Will
ltams. 1t is stated. after warnings for the
purpose to stop disorderly conduct and
profanity in the vicinity of Florida ave-
nue. and 18th street.
After the arrest both prisoners were
locked up. Early this morning the Berry
girl. depositing later s. collateral, which
she afterward forfeited, was liberated
When the Brown girl was brought into
the courtroom 1t was seen she was evil
IDENTIFY suffering from depression. From
time to time she burst into tears, and
seemed on the verge of a collapse. Be-
cause of her condition her case was one
Of the first heard.
The usual fine Of s. was imposed. In
default Of the cash she was committed.
The court and police records give the
address of the Brown woman as Kensing-
RI vxyifh in q c1, ycyto ot
53 X street northwest. where. 1t is stated
the girls mother lives. The address of
the Berry woman is given as Pomeroy
court.
Both women, the police of the eighth
precinct say. have been in trouble before
on the same charges. The Berry woman
especially. Both are well known habitues
of Goat alley.