The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-02

hotel office about 1890 o'clock, or at
least that is as near the time as can
be set, who says that Hurley came into
the office and asked the clerk for his
light overcoat and the key to the front
door. The proprietor then went out
into the hallway. A few minutes later
the man in question passed out of the
office and saw Mr.. Hurley standing in
the front entrance, the door being part
| ly open at the time.
Mr.. Hurley was told of this fact and
said: YES, remember that, but that
was while Abbott was with me. The
front door was open, to be sure, the
only reason for this being that by going
out that way, we would attract less at
tention than by passing through the no
| tel office. After the door was unlocked
l think Abbott went back up stairs,
and if any one saw me standing in the
doorway, it must have been while L was
waiting for him.
Yes 1 know people are saying all
sorts of things. A man approached
me on the street today and asked me
how much 1 got out of the job. All
can say is that I know nothing about
it, and I am sorry Reed was ever adj
mitted to the hotel"
Meanwhile rumor goes on. Some man
can tell you exactly how the man left
the city, and just what the arrange
ment was for his escape. If Reeds
confederates We're in the city Sunday
night waiting to assist him in his es-
cape, there may be some significance
attached to the appearance of a stran
ger in the union station. The only dis
crepancy Waterman Craig noticed in
the man who approached him and the
description of Reed, was that he
thought the man wore a light overcoat.
The man appeared very much excited
and out of breath, and as many cases
of the sort take place every day, moth
ing was thought of the matter at the
time, but afterward it was thought by
some that the excited stranger may
have been Reed.
This view of the case is hardly in
keeping with the good generalship dis
played by Reed and his constituents.
The man, however, may have ben
stool pigeon, who made the move with
the idea of detracting attention from
the prime mover in the game.
Meanwhile Mr.. Reed is making the
most of his clever Improvisation of the
little game of now you see him and now
you don't, and at the present time Is
very much Nov you don't"
Meanwhile the gods are not dealing
leniently with officer ]. L. Abbott, from
whose custody Reed escaped. officer
Abbott returned to the prison about 10
pended from duty yesterday morn
ing.
A report on the case will be forwarded
to the prison commissioners, and it
will then fall on them to decide when
they will give the officer a chance to ap-
pear before them to tell his story. 1t
will then be their duty to decide Wheth-
er or not he is a proper man to remain
in the employ of the state Warden
Bridges second act was to offer a re-
ward of 5000 for the recapture of Reed.
The amount of the reward may seem
small to most people, but it is 500 in
e, cess of that usually offered by the
state authorities for the recapture of
an escaped convict.
Warden Bridges expressed considera-
bile surprise when he learned that Reed
had been taken to a hotel to dine with
his friends. He states that Abbott had
no right to do such a thing, and had he
known of the happening, Abbott would
not have taken the prisoner to Wor-
ceSter
AT this time there were present Col
onel w. A. Gle, Reeds counsel; officer
Abbott Reeds New York friend, Nc
Lean, and another man. Colonel Gilel
is credited with having said that he
went to Boston with Reed Friday, and
left him with the officer while he went
to Cambridge to see witness in the
case. The reason Tor MS accompanying
the party was to talk over the arrange
ments for the defense Mhen Reed was
arraigned in court.
The following statement was made
yesterday by officer Abbott regarding
the prisoners escape:
Il cannot explain it in any way |
kept Reed in sight all the time, and
had him handcuffed on the train. /
never let him out of my sight, but the
necessity for me to go to the closet was
so great that [ could not wait any long
err. | now see where | made my mis-
take. l should have taken him with
me, but had no idea that he intended
to eseape.r l do not think now his es-
cape was premeditated. | believe he
acted ON the impulse of the moment. 1t
is possible his wife may have inspired
him to go when / left them alone.
took the man from the prison in ac-
cordance with orders from Warden
Bridges. know he had the fullest con-
fldence in me, and that is why, per-