Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-14
HANGS HEAD DOWNWARD
Two Detectives Hold Desperately to
His Heels.
BATTERED UNTIL UNCONSCIOUS
Telephone Call Led to Arrest-Piles
Of Loot and Pawn Tickets
Found in His Room.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. August 14.-William
O'Brien, under arrest for burglary. leap
ed head foremost through the window of
an elevated railroad train at an early
hour this morning and sustained mortal
injuries. He is not yet twenty-one years
old, but In that part of the Bronx where
he lived in a furnished room he was
known as speculator and was supposed
to be rich.
John Cummings lives with his family on
the floor below OBrien's room. Cum
mings returned home about 80 this
morning. AS he entered the front door
he heard a slight noise in the parlor.
Taking off his shoes, he slipped quietly to
the parlor door and peeped in. There he
saw O'Brien flashing a dark lantern about
the room.
Cummings slipped out of the door again
and hurried to nearby telephone. He
called up the Bronx detective bureau and
said there was a burglar in his house.
Detectives Schuing and Sullivan were
in the station at the time. In front of
the door was an ambulance from Ford
ham Hospital, surgeon having been
summoned to attend the sick prisoner.
The two detectives jumped into the am
bulance, ordered the driver to go at
| DTedkn6Ck speed ana nedueu LOT SuHl-
mings' home. 1t was a ride of seven
blocks up fremont avenue, but they were
there in a few minutes.
Simulated Drunkenness.
Repeated knocking at O'Brien's room
brought no response and the detectives
burst in the door. O'Brien was in bed
apparently asleep. He was aroused and
then simulated drunkenness. When he
finally began to talk intelligently he PRO-
tested his innocence and expressed him
self as perfectly willing to go to head
quarters and tell all about himself.
This shook the confidence of the de-
tectives. but they decided to search the
room In few minutes they had found
cles constituting a burglars complete
outfit. Then they found gold watches
Of all kinds, cuff buttons. stickpins, neck
laces and other articles which they be-
lieve were the proceeds of numerous rob-
berries.
\ big stack of pawn tickets for many
| other articles of jewelry was brought to
light also.
Then the detectives dismissed the am
bulance and started with the prisoner for
the l. station a. 1SOth street, intending to
take him to the Bronx detective head
quarters. They took downtown train
and seated themselves on the left-hand
side, with o'Brien between them.
Plunged Head Foremost.
He was not handcuffed. Just as thu
train was pulling out of Wendover avenue
station he sprang to his feet and plunged
head first out of window. He would
have gone clear down to the street had
not his head struck the guard rail at the
side of the track. This momentary
check enabled the two detectives to grab
his feet The weight of his body, how
ever, dragged the arms of the detectives
through the window, but they clung to
him. AS the train increased it's speed
O'Brien's head bumped along the ties in
close proximity to the third rail.
The man was too heavy for the officers
to pull back into the car. but they clune
to him and shouted to the passengers to
pull the emergency cord and this was
finally done. Meanwhile those in the car
with the detectives were almost in a
panic.
When the train stopped O'Brien was
dragged back to the car. His head was
terribly battered and he was unconscious
i-He was taken off the train and removed
in an ambulance to Lebanon Hospital.
The doctors say he will die. His skull
was fractured.