The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-01
O'HARA'S ESCAPE FROM JAIL.
HE SAWED FIVE IRON BARS WHILE
HIS KEEPER SLEPT.

from Window TO window on the Oatside
OF tho Ruild,ag and Sealed tho rriso.
wnii-severai Questions as to the Saw
nnd the sheet SIN Unanswered.
Eugene o'nnra who tried to kill Policeman
Thomas +. McGuiIe on Aug II. escaped from
the prison attached TO Jefferson Market Police
Court early yesterday morning.
On Sunday O'Hara was brought before Judge
Hogan and was committed to the City prison.
He was taken back to cell II on the second tier
OF the top floor. To-day he was to have been
removed to the Tomhs. Keeper McNanus took
charge OF tho first tier Keeper Quirk had the
second tier. 1t was h duty to walk around
tile cells every half hour. but he slept At So
O'Clock he nwokc. and n shout told McManus
that something was wrong He hurried to
Quirk's tier, aud found the keepcr acting as II
he we're crazy. lie pointed his finger at coll
II. and said to MclIanus: He's gone" Three
iron bars werc cut. A little curved saw lay
on the floor ofthe cell. O'Hnra had had space
about IL by Is inches through which, to
iUn hah ' @ 9 an
eight Yards Ii. had turned to tho south end OF
the prison and d s;enrl one light OF stairs
top Ut the window in tho southeast corner Of
the main nr,on, rhs window was protested
dinme er. lie cut two OF these.
How be chung to the window on tho inside
Of the bars s,iusoscd ' Himself Though The
2ncning. ami SID down to the next story:
There he gra ned the iron ratings. fastened
the sheet to Que o. the bars. and descended TO
tho next story. BY repeating the process twics
that he had confederate on Greenwich avenue,
who threw rore ladder TO him.
sranss 'S sss Hna IN h i've cell hss
must have cut the hars Of his cell door before
c cut! those Of the winow. md I, is unlikely
sheet along when he lift Lls ce. some q She
not. Keeper MeC osk or was one Of ihoss . who
the bars OF the upner window. II this be true.
would seem that some , one iE9m ,he side
How o'Hara struggled tn. saw into tho
prison Is another matter that troubles Warden
the pri son is supposed to be searched. This Ia
done; but very often as a matter Of form. At
through the pockets OF prisoners clothes.
1T Ths b. wording I Warden Lsdwith's re.or. to
s He sad havs mans hs sn Is
0Hara received q small saw and frame. With
Unirk WAS suspended hy Warden Ledwi,h.
and I'd, was subseHuen tIy discharged BY he Board
O'Ha,a is one II Tie toughest characters
known to the police; lie has been arrested
ABOUT lllty times OH charges OF roUt0ry, Durg
larry, attempted murder. &c. His picture has
been in the Rogu-'- Gallery since March 10,
1873. Then he WAS known as Joe Bates. and
was n notorious Iickpocket. He got seven
years for highway robbery In the Tenderloin
precinct. His next crime was an attempt to
shoot Policeman ketcham at Twenty eighth
street and Seventh avenue. ketchhm WAS the
officer who was found drowned in the North
River on tho day before O'Hara stabbed Nc
Gutre In 1885 o. Harm robbed II nun and got
sey.n and q half years for 1t.
When OHarH stabbed Policeman Mcclure
he was merely carrying out n vow he had
made q week before whom he was locked up
by Policeman Inglehau.er for being drunk and
disorderly on Seventh avenue. For some
reason he was discharged in the Jefferson
Market Court and AS he went out lie swore
that he would Kill to neAt policeman. who
took him in. Policeman Mcclure found him on
Seventh avenue. near the corner OF Twenty
fourth street. very drunk. insulting women
and plaguing boys. He went np to grab him.
Don't YOU tourh me-" yelled O'Hara.
The polremans hand reached for his col.
lar but before he got Griu on it o Hara
whipped ont a silver. handled penknife and
drove the long blade three times into tine po-
liceman's breast. once above. once below. and
once to the left Of the heart. Then Policeman
Sherwood came RUM inG uL and O'llara was
dubbed into submission. The policeman WAS
not SO badly wounded as was ut first supposed.
Tho blade OF the knife was too short But the
Court conside, cd the intent as making up for
any accidental shortcoming, and OHara was
committed without bail