The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-10
Put Up Hard Battle Against
Officer Paine.
Escaped From Jail and Was
Returning to His Home.
Suspicious Actions and His Prison
Clothes Betrayed Him.

John p. Miller. desperate thief vino
shortly after o'clock yesterday after
noon, escaped from the county Jail, and
Officer Howard 5. Paine, had IA meeting
last night The result, of course, is easily
told, for those who know Mr.. Paine
know getting away from him would be
impossible If ho made up his mind To tie
contrary. His mind was fixed last night
and Miller was, soon after they came to-
gether. cooling off in tho lower part of the
| palatial Second police station.
Miller last June was sent TO Jail for GO
| days for an assault on man in Central
| Falls, and was on his way TO his home in
| the baby city when he met Officer Paine,
| or rather, when the latter enforced an in
terview. There's pretty str'ct outlook
kept by the police of the Second district
| for suspicious characters and it's hard far
a fellow whose intentions are not honor
| able to get through a district that covers
one-third of the city, and has more thin
| the usual number of dark roads.
Last evening shortly before 10: 80
O'Clock Officer Paine. who has in the
language of the roOters at the national
sport, "a "good eye" was riding his steed
| along Pawtucket avenue not far from
Cemetery street He was as usual attend
| ing to business, and saw "A man going in
| the direction of Pawtucket The man
! constantly looked back and seemed to be
| in momentary fear of an attack from the
| rear. There was nothing for the officer to
| do but watch and the watching was very
| fascinating, for the man had something on
| his mind IL was apparent that made him
| act strangely.
EXPOSED BY PRISON GARB.
BY detoIr the officer got near enough
| to the man To sec that beneath a coat
| that he nervously held with one band
was something that he seemed anxious to
| hide from view. lt was found IA little
| later that 10 was his prison clothing that
| he wished 10 conceal.
just after the officers discovery. the
man also found there was ground for his
nervous fear. lie saw Paine and then
be ran.
The officer was after him quickly
| There could now he no doubt in his MIND
| that there was reason why the man should
| make I'm explanation at the station. The
| prisoner could sprint and Officer Paine,
| who had shortly before left his horse, has
all the tricks of the runner ami the fellow
who bad walked from Crapston soop got
| tired and determined on "a hand to hard
| fight.
| FOUGHT DESPERATELY.
A barbed wire fence. however. tho es-
| caped prisoner decided To use as a last op
| portunity to escape. He. got over the
| fence just before Paine reached il, ana
| then Miller showed what change he
| could make in his manner for he turned
| like a hunted beast and fought desper-
ately. The officer got pushed against the
rough wires and while he was trying To
extricats himself, Miller grabbed his
hand and pushed deep and hard into it
| his strong teeth.
| Officer Paine. regardless of his bleeding
| and painful Land. grabbed Miller and
| the fight was sharp. short and decisive
| for the handouts were upon Miller's
! hands. Then the patrol wagon came and
| later on there was "a journey To Cranston
| for Miller. ho officer will bear the
marks of the conflict for some time.