Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-09
HARVEY BLAIR FREE AGAIN.
The Clever Forger Makes His Escape from
the BeIair (Md1 Jail,

Robert II. Harvey the pious fraud and
clever bank GwinGer and forger, who
operated in Richmond and Petersburg
more than a Year ago under the name
% J. Harvey Blair. is a free man again.
He escaped late Saturday night from
the Bclair Md Jail. where he had been
incarcerated since his arrest about two
months ago at Nineland. y. j., where he
was n:asquerading as Horace ID. Baker.
IL VIII be remembered that Blair posed
in this city as an earnest Christian En-
dtavor worker. made addresses In many
OF the churches, and aroused the great
est enthusiasm. He finally succeeded in
having worthless checks, each for seVe-
raj hundred dollars, cashed both here and
IN Petersburg nCwlymade and unsus-
pecting frtenls having endorsed them.
When the imposter was put in prison IN
Maryland MIR. Burnett. cashier OF the
National Bank of Virginia. went there
and identified him.
TWO OTHERS WITH HIM.
A Belair special of Sunday gives the
following account OF how the escape was
effected. as aided by two fellow-prisoners
Nho arc also II ssing:
Up to a late hour tonight the men have
rot been aporeberded kilograms were
sent 10 nearby cities and villages, but
no tidings have been received about the
fugitives.
The town Las been in n state OF great
. excitement Stree the story OF the ESCAPE
became known this morning The Sheriff
not knowing in which direction to CO.
sits at home discussing the shrcwGness
OF the trio. 1t was the boldest piece Of
0 v ork ever attempted In Hartford. The
publication of Haryeys record by the
of his arrest in Nineland on July S0th
gives to the ans If an added interest 1t is
Known that Harvey, under different
aliases, has victimized banks in all parts
0: the United States
HOW IT WAS EFFECTED.
Sheriff Hughes locked the Jail at 8
o'clock last night. An hour later Samuel
Kelly, confined in cell on the second
fioor picked the lock of his door, and
stepped into the corridor. 1t took but
short time TO release his friend, Thomas
j. Kane who was confined on the floor
below. The two men then went to the
second floor and set free the bank swind-
Ter. The trio went into an adjoining cell.
In which four colored boys, who worked
In the Jail-yard. slept
While Harvey and Kane covered the
boys with their pistols, Of which they had
Ia some mysterious way become pos
sessed, Kelly began to pick n hole
through the ceiling The bank victimizer
knew the ceiling of this cell was thin. rs
he had been confined there at one time
during his Incarceration. BY the aid OF
an old log behind the cell door the men
reached the third moor. The hole through
which they gained entrance was twelve
by seven inches. Having gained this
point OF vantage they went TO another
window looking out upon the jail gar
den and sawed two bars. each an inch
square. The sheets from the beds Of the
three prisoners were torn into long trips.
These were tied together. making a secure
rope, by means OF which the men de-
scended In safety TO the ground.
As soon AS they were gone about |,
O'Clock, the alarm was given by the
badly frightened colored boys Harvey
had left oil his trappings in his cell ex-
cept 4 satchel. which was missed, ana
which Is supposed TO have been taken by
him. The other two men took nothing
No or nan IMAGINE how fhA asSs and