New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-22
Paper Box Kid Dashes
From His Cell and
Wounds Guards.
MAD, HE DISROBES
DURING FLIGHT
BUSHES to Ossining Hospital
Got Gun In Sing Sing
A Mystery.

Oresto Shillitani, known as the
Psner Box Kid" awaiting electrocution
IN Sing Sing for the murder of two po-
licemen. escaped from his cell in the
old death house at 10 minutes after
midnight this morning. and, with re-
voIver obtained in some mysterious
manner, shot the guard at the cell door
through the abdomen. Running down
the corridor, he wounded another, took
the death house key from him and ran
10 the prison lawn.
After climbing over the prison wall
he removed all Of his clothing and ran
naked 10 the Ossining Hospital, where
he was captured and returned to the
prison. He is in the padded cell, sp-
rarently rsving maniac.
Brother Had Visited Him
Shillitani, who had been showing
evidences Of insanity for weeks, had
been placed in one Of the disused con-
demned cells for observation. His
brother visited him yesterday after
noon. and was permitted TO converse
with him through the screen in the
visiting room.
shortly after midnight Shillitani
called to John Mccarthy, the guard
in the cell block, and on some pre-
teDce got him to open the cell door.
The moment it swung open the muir %
derer leapod at him and shot MN
through the abdomen.
Al the sound of the shot, Guard
Bullock. at the end of the corridor
ran IN. to meet Shillitani racing Tor
the door. He called to him to halt,
and was answered with shot. lie
FEN as the bullet struck him IN the
arm. and Shillitani leaped on. him and
vrcsted the key to the outerdoor from
his hand.
Astounds Hospital Men.
Because Of the isolated position Of
The old death cells, no one IN the man
rart of the prison heard the shots. By,
The time another guard had arrived
-hlGtani had opened the door, run
scross the narrow lawn between the
rrison and the wall, placed a settee
~cainst it and dropped 10 safety on
The other side.
Here his maniacal foolishness as
.orted itself. He stopped to diVest
himself of every stitch of his clothing
and then ran straight for the hospital
His sudden entrance there astounded
attendants, who, realizing they had a
madman TO deal with, leaped upon nm
and bore him TO the floor.
Almost at that moment the great
alarm whistle at the prison, which had
not been used for more than year,
was blown, and guards came dashing
up the hill in search of the escaped
prisoner.
Goes Back to Prison.
The prison auto van was sent for
and Shillitani was taken back TO the
prison screaming and tearing his halr'
Physicians found that Mccarthy,
while badly wounded. was not neces-
ssrily fatally hurt, and said that ne
might recover if no vital organs had
been punctured by the bullet.
Warden Kirchwey and Deputy War
den Miller Immediately began an in
vestigation 10 determine how the muir
derer came into possession of the re
volver. His cell had been thoroughly
searched yesterday morning and prison
officials are convinced IL could not
have been there then.
Two weeks ago. when two men were
electrocuted at the prison, Shllhtani
raved and screamed in his cell. The
Court Of Appeals had denied his ap-
plication for a new trial. and he was
10 have gone 10 the chair the first
week in July.
Late on Saturday night, May 3, 1918,
the Italian quarter in Mulberry Street
heard three revolver shots. Reserves
al the Mulberry Street station, ever
alert for neighborhood shootings, raced
into the street.
They had not far 10 go from the sta
tion. Lying in dark hallway, spit
ting and coughing out his ines blood
lay a man with a bullet IN ms cnest;
II was sure death. The slayer had
vanished.
Rf(ph Lorito was the first man
caueht. He was found the morning foi-
lowing the shooting in the tenement
AZ 239 Mulberry Street. Lorlto admit
ted that Rizzo. the slain gangster, had
shot him no less than six times, nm a
street brawl. Rocco Lorito, Raiph' 5
brother. was also arrested on the
strength of this confession. lie admit
ted that he had seen the shooting. Inc
SLAYER. he declared, ran on. but ne
could not. he said, and would not, iden-
tifv suspects as the slayer.
Rizzo put on his coat and started out
the saloon.
As he paused in the doorway me
sbo,s were heard. Rizzo fell dead.
simultaneously the paper Box KID
dissnneared. The police, sure OF his
quilt. then started to look for him as
the murderer. After a two-yesr search
hs was captured.