Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-22
Made by an Unwilling Pris.
oner Who Didn't Want
to Go to Jail.
BULLETS AGAINST POWDER
Detective Zimmerman L gs Suddenly
Blinded by His Captive.
A SWIFT SPRINT FOR FREEDOM.
Hundreds of Spectators Join in the Pursuit
of the Fugitive.
FINALLY RUN DOWN on BOIDS HILL

The whole upper end of the downtown
district was wild with excitement yesterday
afternoon over the escape of a prisoner from
the county Jail. The escape was neatly
carried out, but freedom was only gained
for short time After desperate chase
the man was captured. The affair
caused a stampede in one of the courtroons
when a shot right under the windows caused
everybody TO rush to see what had hap
pened. Five hundred others heard the shot
and ran to the rear of the Court House. As
many more soon followed All they could
see was the figure of fleeing man and a
detective chasing him. Hundreds of others
followed, and soon over a thousand people
had Joined in the chase.
The prisoner was Harry NJ. Kelly and
he pursuer was Detective Fred thinner
man, of the Allegheny City force. Kelly
is a slick young man about % years of age,
and lived at ca River avenue, Allegheny.
A serious charge had been preferred against
him by Mrs. Sadie Abbot in behalf of her
daughter, who is only Is yeafs old. She
lives at 135 Locust street, Allegheny.
Didn't want to Go to Jail.
The charge had been made before Alder
man McNulty, and Kelly was arrested sew
eral days ago and placed in Jail to await a
hearing. Yesterday Detective Zimmerman
took him to Allegheny for a hearing. His
case was partially heard, but at the request
Of Kelly's counsel the case was adjourned
until Thursday and the bail fixed at 81, 500
The young fellow pleaded hard with
Detective Zimmerman not to take him back
TO Jail. He said he would be able to give
bail if he only had chance. The detective
consented and took him to half dozen
places in Manchester, but he was not able
to find anyone who would trust him to that
extent. The detective then brought him
over to Pittsburg, but neglected the precau-
tion to put the handouts on him.
All went well until the pair arrived
at the entrance 10 the Jail on Ross street.
There are few steps leading down to the
iail entrance. Zimmerman had taken the
first step down when Kelly suddenly turned
and threw a handful of white powder in the
detectives face His intention was to blind
him, but the powder only struck his left
eve.
Shot at the,Fugitivc Sprinter.
For the moment the detective was dazed,
but recovering himself, he drew his revolver
and fred at the man, who was sprinting
down Ross street Like a professional
crook, Rely broke for the first corner, and
before the detective could get a second shot
he had turned the corner at Ross and Dia-
mond streets and placed the granite walls of
the Jail between himself and his pursuer
Ii was Zimmermann's first shot that drew
the crowd, and, as if by magic, at least 800
people appeared on the scene. while heads
were poked out of the Court House win
dows and from the low buildings on
Diamond street. 'Stop thief" was the
cry, and the crowd soon doubled in number
while Detective Zimmerman doubled the
corner and emptied another chamber of his
revolver at the fugitive, who was then
using the Duquesne Traction Company's
bridge as a road to liberty. On Old avenue
the crowd increased and hundreds Joined
in the chase. At Shingiss street man
attempted to head of Kelly, and it
is said also got a handful OF the white pow
der. 1t was white, and made no noise, but
was lust as effective as if it had forced a
bullet before il. The man threw his hand
up to his face, staggered to one side, and
Kelly only smiled aud darted by at a record
breaking pace.
Run Down on Boyd's BiII.
Seeing this. anumber of others Joined the
chaee but Kelly soon winded them and
they fell BY the wayside and convenient
water plugs where they could take rest
The only man who gained on him was the
pluckv little detective who is built like
Splinter and Yesterdays race brought out
all his good points.
Kelly suddenly turned up side street, and
the detective and the crowd followed. The
people in that locality also turned out, and,
in fact, it was scene similar to those at
tendant upon John Gilpin's famous ride
The man was gone, however, and
kept up good pace until
Bovd's Hill was reached Here
Detective Zimmerman decided bullets
could make better time than his tired legs,
and sent two more leaden messengers after
the fugitive, who thought it better to obey
the call, and came to dead stop. The de-
tective covered him with his revolver, and
this time put on the irons and made sure
they were carefully locked.
The return to the Jail was a sort of a
triumphal march, and in the absence of anv
blue banners to wave in the breeze the
prisoner simply discolored the atmosphere
in his passion. At the Jail he was surly
and literally had to be thrown through the
door,
Detective Zimmerman has badly dis
cciored eve but whole heap OF satisfac-
tion. The only thing that troubles him is
to know where Kelly got the white powder.
1t must have been given to him by some
person to whom he ostensibly went in
search OF bail. The detective believes the
bail story was simply setup story to en-
able Kelly to get this powder for the pur-
pose OF binding him and regaining his
liberty.