The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-02
SHE ESCAPED IN A TRUNK.
Taken Away Before the Eyes of the
Officers Who Were Looking for Her.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.

AOih the IltlSbuiS ltSDulcn.
After successfully outwitting an alder
man, one or two constables, an amateur
detective, and several police officials, all
of whom had been making diligent
search for her for two weeks, Ada Ham
lin, alias Burt, quietly left the city yes
terday morning over the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad for Chicago. Five weeks
ago Ada Hamlin was arrested at her house
on Robinson street. The charge was sell
ing liquor on Sunday, without a license.
and to minors. The woman was COM
mitted to jail for trial in default of $1,000
bail. The next evenig bail was procured.
Mrs Louisa McCourt signed the bail
bond, but after day or two, when num-
Der of friends had told her of the great
risk she was running, she became fright
ened and secured the services of a con-
stable to go after Miss Hamlin and return
her to Jail.
The constable Immediately went to the
house, 800 Robinson street, but found 1t
vacant. He inquired of the neghbors
the whereabouts of Miss Hamlin but all
the information he could CLEAN was that
she had moved away early that morning.
Two days afterward. on Nov. /, Mrs Nc
Court received a letter from the missing
woman, apprising her that she had moved
to 2l7 Second avenue, this city.
In the meantime, however. the Hamlin
woman had grown rather cautious. and
every time any one rang the door bell she
would run and hide fearing it was some
officer to take her back to the lookup
On the evening of Nov. 3 Alderman Wads-
worth of Allegheny, accompanied by one
of his constables came to arrest her The
woman adopted rather heroic measures.
and, unpacl1ing a large Saratoga trunk,
she got inside, and telling a girl who was
living with her to allow the officers to
enter the next time they rang, she low
cred the lid of the trunk and awaited de-
velopments. In less than five minutes the
alderman and constable returned. They
were furnished with a lamp, and after dill
gent search they were satisfied that the
fugitive was not there. Notwithstanding
this declaration, and their dissatisfaction
was greatly increased when some of the
neighbors informed them that the woman
they wanted was still in the house
The woman, in the meantime, had sent
out for an eXpressman to carry a trunk
from the house. But before the express
man arrived the constable returned. ac-
companied by a city detective He again
demanded an entrance, which was as
sented to. Again he made a thorough
search of the premises, and on more than
one occasion brushed against the trunk
containing the anxious and much-sought-
after victim.
After the two officers had again left the
house and were discussing the situation
on the pavement, the expressman arrived.
He was shown the trunk he was TO carry.
containing the living freight, but when he
asked its destination he was told that
man would accompany him and show him
This did not excite his supicion in the
least, and while he laid hold of one end
of the trunk a friend of the Hamlin wo-
vvhn had bpan He'd In, frr t6,t
pose, took hold of the other end and it
was carried down stairs, but rather rough
ly thrown into the wagon, to avoid any
undue suspicion from officers outside.
The expressman was told to drive down
on Duquesne way near Fifth street. which
he did He was stopped in front of a GER
tain house where IL had been planned to
take the trunk, but here the woman. when
she learned the truth, refused IL admit
lance. The trunk, however was set on
the pavement unlocked, and its occupant
released. The expressman watched these
maneuvers with amazement, and when he
saw a woman arise from the DEPTHS of the
trunk he nearly fell over The trunk was
Immediately returned to the wagon ami
the driver was directed to take il to the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad depot and
leave it there until called for
After this Ada Hamlin went over to Al
legheny and went out on the brighton
road. where she remained in hiding az a
house of an acquaintance until yesterday
morning. when she came over to Pitts
burg and boarded train for Chicago.