Evening star., 1896-10-15
is STILL MISSING
Matthews the Alleged Murderer Of
Charles County Not Found.
CRITICISM 0F THESHERIFF And JAILER
Attention of Gov. Lowndes Called
to La Plata Prison Methods.
THERE ARE SOME CLUES

Spec al Dispatch to The Evening Star.
LA PLATA, Charles County, Md. October
15-Nobody here blames George Matthews,
the alleged murderer, for accepting Jailer
Washington Burch's invitation to regain his
liberty Tuesday morning when the five Jail
locks hung on the wall. and the combna-
ton lock on the outer door as well as the
door itself was open. But in vigorous terms
they are still denouncing Sheriff Wade and
the colored jailer, the former for having
Burch In his employ and the latter for al
lowing so important a prisoner to escape.
Had this been the first time Burch had per-
mitted such a thing to happen his careless
ness might have been more excusable than
it is but eight years ago, while under the
present sheriff. he allowed his own son-in-
law, William Brooks to escape.
Brooks who had married Burch's dauEh-
ter several years prior to the time OF MS
incarceration, was In jail on charge OF
attempted felonious assault, and just be-
ftre the meeting Of court he escaped. Win
this experience the people think the sheriH
shouH have selected some other man Tor
the position when he was last elected to
the Office
In defense Of his conduct Tuesday morn
ing Burch says he thought the outer door
was locked when he went upstairs to feed
the prisoners. On this outer door. as al
ready stated there is a combination lock,
and had the fugitive closed the door he
would have locked Burch in. and 1t would
have been some time before he could have
made his way out OF he little prison. But
thrgs turned out this was wholly UNI
necessary, for the fugitive got in the woods
under cover in time 20 save his being cap
tured.
That he did not go far on Tuesday is
shown by the fact that he was seen on the
road not NOR. than a mile from here soon
after dark Tuesday night. Henry Henslev
81 11sr l.,
on the road and noticed that his hat
pulled down over his face as if he wanted
to conceal his identity, but for the mo-
ment they did not think of the fugitive
nor did they imagine he would be near
here after having been at liberty about
ter hours.
They would have passed him without a
word, but be called to them: rs this the
road to Glymont?'
You're On the right road" answered
Hensley. Are you going &c Glymont?'
There came no response, and the fugi-
tive. who seemed almost out of breath.
disappeared down the road, continuing in
the direction of GiymOnt. He was then
near the farm of Mrs. Mary Jane Davis.
and Hensley. who had seen and conversed
| with the prisoner in Jail, hasteneI here and
| gave the AlaEna.- Then he went to Port To-
| bacco and told ShsFid--ERde of what had
happened. 1t was about O'Clock when
| Hensley reached Port Tobacco, and he sug
eested that a posse might go in the direc-
| ton of Glymont. and get the fugitive be-
| fore morning but She rif Wade. so he says
| told him he had no one to send
! The Officials Criticized.
where is Matthews?" was the question
asked of almost every one here this morn
| ing, but. of course, the question remained
| unanswered
IF the county officials had gone about
| the pursuit In bus,Eess-llke manner, sal
| a prominent cit zen this morning. "the fug!-
| q
| that he was in the woods almost within a
stones throw of the Jail all day long, as is
evident from the statements Of the colored
| men who saw him after night, shows that
| not much of a search was made. Every
| body felt certain that he had gone in the
| direction of the river. and as the river is
| less than eight miles from here, posse of
| suffic. .ent size could have made thorough
| search of almost every inch of the ground
| before sundown."
What Is to be done toward an investiga-
| ton of the sheriff and his colored assist
ant is matter Of speculation.
| The citizens are calling for some action
| on the part of the higher authorities, but
| what will be done will, in all probability.
/ not be known until the meeting of the
| grand jury next month, unless 1t happens
| that Burch is removed by Sheriff Wade in
| the meantime. Now that Matthews is
| known to have gone in the direction OF
Glymont it is believed that he reached
the river before morning. and possibly
| managed to get on board boat going
either down the river or in the direction of
| Washington. He may have gone across
| the river to Virginia, however, and there
| taken a train.
| So far as can be ascertained Matthews
had no money, unless he was provided with
funds when he got some distance from
| the Jail, and this is not likely. unless he
! obtained it from friends. In this event
his friends must have known in advance
what was to happen. But this is not gen.
orally believed.
Matthews, they think. is living on wha,
| he csn get from orchards and turniI
! patches, il he Is still in the county. ant
by sleeping In barns he might remain in
| the county until he thinks the search is
l abandoned, and then leave.
Conference With Gov. Lowndcs,
Special Dispatch to The Evening star
| BALTIMORE, Nd. October 15.-Gov
I.owndes has heard of the escape of the fu
gitive and the carelessness of Jailer Burcf
| has been told him in a complaint entered
by Robert Grain, a supervisor of election
and a member of the bar. Mr.. Grain has
large property interests In Charles county
/ and he was present yesterday at a confer
| ence between Gov. Lowndes and Attorney
General baugh. During this informa
| conference the affairs of Charles count,
| were discuss The numerous seriou:
/ crimes committed in the county during re
cent months, in addition to the lynchng o.
/ Joseph Cooking, were mentioned The at
torney general concluded that the sherir
was personally responsible for the safe
keeping of prisoners and that the governor
could not remove Jailer Burch, who wa.
appointed by him.
I Mr.. Grain was also anxious that the gov
! ernor should offer reward large enough
= to effect the recapture of the alleged mur
derer, hut this the governor thought h,
could not do. as 1t was strictly matter fo
| the county.
HURT WHILE COASTING.