The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-27
illustrates Rescue by
Threat to Jump Into
60-Foot Ravine.
DOCTORS, FIREMEN,
OFFICERS HELPLESS
Escapes From Insane
Hospital by Break
ing Window.

vine sixty feet, woman in
mate OF the st. Elizabeth's Insane
Hospital. clad only in a ilmy night
dress, defied firemen, policemen and
hospital attendants for nine hours
last night.
I'm going to stay here. and II
you try to beat me down, I'll jump"
was her threat each time an at
tempt was made to bring her from
the precarious position, followed by
actions which indicated that she
Intended to carry out her threat.
For four hours several scores OF
persons. including the entire fire
fighting force from Engine Com
pany 25, squad of policemen from
the Eleventh police precinct, and
hospital guards, nurses and physi-
clans feverishly schemed to recap
ture the demented woman, but their
efforts were futile.
Nurses I'm Hiding.
The tree located in the hospital
grounds, is rooted on the side of
a steep incline, which made it i'm
possible for the fremen to bring
their life nets into use. thereby Of
tering no protection for the woman.
providing she proceeded to leap
when the rescuers approached her.
Ladders were raised into the tree,
but as they. were being placed In
position, the woman stood erect on
one of the top limbs and repeated
her threat to jump.
Fearful that she would become
excited and fall from the dangerous
position, or that she would leap. DR..
William A. White. superintendent of
the Institution, after comforting with
Chief George S. Watson, of the local
fire department. issued orders that
all lights In the section surround
ing the tree be extinguished and
that a squad OF guards and nurses
remain in hiding to await her. de-
scent.
Screams for Her Baby.
Throughout the night her screams
and shouts rent the air, as she called
for her baby-a fifteen-month-old
son who is being cared for by
friends while the mother Is under
going treatment
Mattresses were placed about the
FOOT Of the tree to prevent. II pos
sible, death in the event she fell
or jumped. Physicians and nurses,
accompanied by a squad of guards.
remained on watch during the
night to render immediate medical
attention. should the occasion arise.
The woman, Mrs. Annie Lymboro-
plas, 81 years old, made her escape
from @" building Of the hospital
shortly after 6 o'clock last night,
by breaking the glass in the upper
sash of a bathroom window, On the
first floor.
Flees from Nurses.
Hearing the crash which accom-
panied the breaking of the window,
nurses Immediately rushed into the
bathroom. but the patient had al
ready climbed to the outside, and
was running in the direction of the
ravine, directly in the rear of the
building
With the nurses in close pursuit.
she scaled, the trunk of the tree
to the first limb. a distance OF ap-
proximately twelve feet. and with
the agility of a primitive woman
scampered to the uppermost limb.
Nurses called to her of the dan
ger to which she was exposing her
self. but she paid no heed and con-
tinued the ascent, muttering and
laughing as she went.
Husband Pleads I'm Vain.
After short time, she shouted
10 those below that she would come
down il they brought her husband
to the hospital. An ambulance was
Immediately sent to the husbands
residence in the vicinity, but when
he arrived and begged her to come
down and greet him, she refused
stating that she would rather stay
up here"
When the efforts Of the firemen
and policemen proved of no avail
she informed hospital attendants
that she would come down il they
gave her ice cream This request
was also granted. but again hse
laughed and declared that she did
not intend to move from her pres
ent position
Keeping up a continuance shout
ing, sometimes in English and at
other times in her native tongue,
Polish. and spoke Of her baby. her
husband, her native country, and or
the fact that she was crazy" In
jecting at regular intervals that
she would never come down from
the tree" L
Was Guarded Closely.
Mrs. Lymboroplas was admitted
to the institution about a year ago,
a short time after the birth of her
child. suffering from halIucinations,
according to DR.. Mary OMaTley, in
charge Of the women's division of
the hospital.
She had been a rather dangerous
patient. owing to the fact that she
made several attempts to attack
nurses and attendants, the hospital
officials say, and for that reason
was closely guarded.
After being permitted to leave
her room to go to the room from
which she made her escape, the
nurse who accompanied her left her
alone for a short time while she
went to an adjoining room to OBJ
tain some bed covers. 1t was dur
ing this brief absence that the es-
cape was effected
Exposure Dangerous.
The window through which she
escaped. was locked and protected
over the lower sash by guard bars.
The upper sash. the one which she
broke and through which she
jumped. was unprotected. as are all
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