Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-28
sHAw.s EEMARKABLE ESCAPE.
Flight OF tho Prison Bird who Tried %
shield Rohan, the Murray Hin Burglar.

fhtht OF tho Ifrson tsiru w mo rftcu 70
shield Rohan, the Murray HIN Burglar
An escape which oclipses anything Of the
kind within the history Of the Ohio penn
tertiary took place this evening. says recent
issue OF the Cincinnati Commercial Gdsotte. J.
q. Shaw, notorious thief and aud house
breaker, deoended from the roof by q rope
into the from. yard OF the prison, just north Of
the wsrden's Office and main entrance, and got
away. shaw was serving a double sentence.
aggresating ten years. having been sent up
from Franklin county for seven years aud
from Cuyahoga county for three years. the Of
Tense in each case being housekeeping. After
being convicted in Franklin county he was
taken 20 Cleveland and tried. Hevas received
ut the penitentiary in the fall Of 1897.
Ihe prisoners confined m each range OF story
OF cells are allowed Sunday afternoon out in the
corridors alternately. Guard Gouder who was
on duty IN Shav's department. saw the latter
enter his cell about 4:so in the afternoon, and
passing the door shors time later he noticed
a form he supposed was Shaws reclining on the
bed. About 8 O'Clock. after the prisoners were
locked IN, Il was found that the form on Shaw's
bed was dummy made by stufing shaw's
prison ga-b with bed clothes
n search Tor the missing prisoner was at
once instituted. II developed that he hae as
cended 10 the roof and passed out through a
yentllator. Thence be reached the ground on
nope fastened around a chimney. This rope.
which was yc: waving in the breeze. made
OF little pieces Of wrapping Irvine which shaw
had picked up in the shop where he worked.
| He had tied hundreds of these bits together
until lac had rope long enough 90 reach tho
ground. IL must have required several months
| 20 manufacture the rope. and how he kept 10
concealed meantime is u mystery.
| He had evidently climbed through the ven-
tilator just before the prisoners were locked
| up in their cells aud waited fog a favorable
opportunity TO como down. The escape was
made from the east wing, between the main
entrance and the female department. and
within less than sixty feet from the wardens
Office. 1t is pronounced by the prison officials
as the most daring on record. shaw evidently
had an accomplice. from whom he received a
suit OF clothes, as he used his zebra costume
for the dummy.
THE RoHAS CASE
Shaw is the man who attempted 10 save his
pal, Charles Rohan, charged with the cele-
brated Cohen burglary ON Murray Hill. New
York city, by swearing that he committed that
crime. kohan was released from the peniten-
| tiary year ago and Immediately rearrested
4 by two OF Inspector Byrnes men and Detective
| Murphy OF Columbus FOR the New York crime.
| Eohan was graduate OF Oberlin College.
lie went TO New York, where he wooed and won
| prominent young lady. On the night follow
ms his wedding his wife was awakened by pis-
| to! shots, and soon saw her husband rush into
the room. He had burglarized the next-door
residence, and. being discovered at his
| farious work. pursued aud shot at he
fought his way through n crowd of policemen,
who were attracted by the pistol shots. and
made good his escape. lie was soon after cap
tured for another job and sent to the Ohio
penitentary from Cuyahoga county. In the
meantime 1t developed that the wedding in
| New York was a mock affair and his supposed
wife has since married wealthy merchant
few days ago Rohan was tried for the New
York crime, and his defense was based on the
affidavit Of Shaw to the effect that the latter
was the man who deceived the young lady and
| robbed the house OF her next-door neighbor.
The young woman, deeply veied 10 conceal her
| identity, came into court and identified Rohan
as the man, notwithstanding Shaw's affidavit
Her name was kept a secret in the court room
| by an arrangement with the attorneys. and the
| New York newspapers have since been unable
to solve the problem of her identity.