The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-06-27
WHIT STARR OUT AGAIN
NOTORIOUS CRIMINAL SAWS
THROUGH THE JAIL BARS.
Carelessness at the County Bastile-
Iar-Judge McCray's Request.

ana the work necessary to accomplish IL
so successfully carried out that he was not
missed until yesterday morning when the
prisoners were let out of their cells for ex-
ercise in the corridor within the cage. 1t
was then noticed that Starr was not among
the number and an investigation disclosed
that he was gone and that he might have
been gone long enough to have got entirely
out of the State.
Starr made his escape by cutting two
bars out of window at the south end of
the Jail. How he could have reached the
window to perform the work must have
been a mystery but for information given
by other prisoners since his escape. Starr
was confined in the north cell house. He
occupied cell No. 4. which communicated
with the steel cage which formed the cor
ridor in which the prisoners are allowed
to exercise daily for an hour or two at
time. There is between the cells and the
outside windows a space of ten feet into
which the prisoners are never permitted to
go. The cells are in two rows, between
which is this Gagged corridor. Between the
entrance to the Gagged corridor and the
main corridor of the Jail is another corridor.
separated from the main or middle corridor
by heavy steel-barred partition which is
covered with a wire screen, the meshes of
which are about half an inch in diameter.
The open place formed between the main
corridor and the cell corridor is shut in by
the same heavy steel grating on the east
and west sides as that which separates 1t
from the main corridor. This is on the
north side where Starr was confined, on
the lower floor. The south side of the jail
is exactly like the north side 1T is not in
use now, however. as there are no prison.
ers confined there. TO escape from the
window
get out of the Gagged corridor, then through
the wall separating the north cell house
steel grating into the south cell house and
through another set of bars into the unused
corridor. which extends around the cage
and cells next to the walls of the jail. He
accomplished all this in very clever man.
ner.
HIS SISTERS VISIT.
Yesterday morning, between 10 and II
o'clock, STAIRS sister called on him and he
was allowed to come out of the cell cor
ridor to the heavy steel screened grating.
His sister stood in the main corridor and
talked to him through the screened bars.
1t was at a time when there were several
visitors and when Harry Mounts. day TALLER,
came to turn the prisoners, on whom the
visitors had been calling, back into the cell
corridor he failed to notice that Starr did
not return with the others. Instead of
going back Starr opened the door OF one !
Of the machinery boxes and hid there. The
box is a case in which WORK the levers and
other machinery for opening the doors of
the cells without the operator having TO
go into the cage. Once in this, Starr had
one less grating between him and liberty.
About o'clock Mounts opened the doors
from the main corridor TO the lobby be-
tween the main corridor and the cage, and
also the doors leading from this lobby into
the corridor extending between the cage
and the walls. This was done to allow the
TRUSTEES" to go in there TO sweep. This
the main corridor and his first step was to
go upstairs to Colonel Weaver's cell There
he told Weaver that he had s saws Is. ana Was
and arranged a signal by which Weaver
was to know If Starr was successful
walked through the door into the south
cell house and through the next door into
the outside corridor. He passed the trust
window from the east on the south side of
the jail building. He sawed two bars In
twain at one end and cut. one of them
Then he went back to Weaver's cell, told
him of the progress he had made and then
returned to the south cen MOUSE. 1. t Vas
and he did not want to go until after the
taller had made his last round so that he
would have e1v more TT Sa snrnr 70 the
noon Starr pulled open register TO the
ventilator in the southeast corner of the
closed the register If he had been missed
it is probable a search would not have To-
Gated him in this place
Some time after midnight Starr came out
of his hole and completed the work on the
outside bars. The one that was cut nearly
off was broken the rest of the way. and
ahe 4tae pe @es Of gas pipe Which Starr found
i'm the ventilator. He then dropped down
to the ground and went around to the
give the signal to Colonel Weaver. He did
this by yelling. ."Jakey, Jakey, Jakey:"
and Weaver: hearing 1t, rejoiced that his
Sheriff Womack said last evening that
STAIRS escape was due wholly TO the care
iessness of jailer Mounts. Il give instruc-
tions repeatedly that the doors are to be
opened only one at time and when the
TRUSTEES go in TO sweep they are supPosed>
to be locked in until they have finished
one apartment and then admitted to an
other. If this is done the Jaiier sees every
door opened and closed and knows just who
capes he must go through barriers that 1T
is simply impossible for anybody to go
through"
81 can't say yet. I intend to. investigate
further and lay the blame where it be-
longs"
JUDGE MCRAY's REQUEST.
Mr.. Womack continued: IF ] had had
my way about Starr he would have been
in Michigan City long ago. He was SEN
fenced June or June 9, and 1 intended
taxing MIN 10 pTlSou the fSdLic udy, oul
was instructed by Judge McCray to keep
him here until Governor Matthews could
act on petition to have him sent TO Jeffer-
sonvtle instead of Michigan City. His
friends made plea that he was suffering
with consumption and that he would die
IL sent to Michigan City. held him, and
then Corridor, one of STAIRS pals, was con-
victed. and / wanted to take Starr north
with him. but Judge McCray said TO hold
him while longer. The Judge assured me
that would not have to hold him longer
than the 18th. and IL seems that the Judge
was right, for it was the 18th that Starr
left.
II have offered 500 reward for his
capture. and will pay Ii to the man that
gets him: and you may depend upon ii II
he Is arrested he will not be in this jail
minute after the next train leaves for
where did Starr get the saws?" was
asked of the sheriff
cit is supposed his sister gave them to
him. / know this is not true, however. but
do not care to say where he got them"
This is not the first time Whit Starr has
escaped while under arrest. His first dar-
ing escape was during the. time Albert
Travis was superintendent of police. Starr
was arrested for grand larceny, and Travis
had him taken up TO his private Office in
the front room on the second story of the
police station. He was trying to get some
information from Starr and was alone with
him in the room Travis turned his head
for moment and Starr stepped out the
window. slid down a water pipe and es-
4 81 -. ~AIL -