The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-01-19
SAWED A. BAR,
Henry Straight the Clever
sWindler Makes a Sem
sational Escape from
Headquarters.
SQUEEZED THROUGH SEVEN INCHES
Fled Over Sheds Without a Hat
Traced to Bishop Street
Where All Clues
Are Lost.
PRETTY WIFE in TIE TOLLS.
Chief Murphy Traps Her Into Ad-
mitting That She Engineered
the Subway Exit.
PRETTY WIFE IN TIE TOLLS

One of the most daring swindlers cap
tured by the Jersey City police in many
a day broke Jail shortly after eight O'Clock
this morning. The entire police force has
been turned out in search of him. He was
last seen making toward the tracks of the
Central Railroad of New Jersey. Detec-
tives who know him are guarding every
ferry and officers are stationed at every
road leading from the city. 1t is thought
that a woman aided the prisoner in ms
escape The man is Henry W. Straight
alias Charles BLY,, alias Charles Paige. He
is of medium height and clean shaven and
is thirty-two years DID, He had long
period of Imprisonment staring him in the
face in New York State and the authori-
ties in Pennsylvania and maryland are
also anxious to get him he swlaadea q Lee iWo ,t
his most extensive operations were carried
on among dealers in hay and feed
throughout the country, try aiso rdhaors among -, d
New York City.
He was arrested a week ago by Detec-
tive RDbert Pearson son baen bs traek
since September Is last. He had frequent
ly eluded them, just, as they were on the
paIa5 ppapfured Cd adleon hreugh t 4he M Jealousy Of
woman. He had courted and won young
girl in Easton, Pa. while he was operating
IN CnaI place. w nSi ne iSlL ne JiitcO Lct
and she learned later became enamored
of another girl When she learned Of his
duplicity she furnished the police with an
excellent photograph of her recalcitrant
lover Copies of it were quietly sent all
over the country.
1t was right where he was most want,
ed however, that Straight was found. His
new sweetheart lived in Jersey City. He
came to live with her in the fashionable
section of Bergen Heights. He was walk
ing down Bergen avenue one night When
Detective Pearson saw him and recognized
him by the photograph. He followed him
to the woman's home, and after the iden-
iification was made positive arrested MIN
He was arraigned before Police JUS
tice Nevin last Thursday morning and
was held in s5,94es to await :esst5radition 70
answer to the charge of swindling George
Van Worst, a dealer in hay and feed, at
No. COL West Thirty-fourth street, New
York City, out sosg.
identified by Lehigh Valley and Pennsyl-
vania Railroad officials as the man who
had robbed them of thousands of dollars
worth of goods by means of forged bills
of lading. The Union Hilliard Milling
Company of Wilkesbarre, Pa, was also
mulcted by him under the assumed name
of Charles Bates.
He was locked up in the City Prison
at Police Headquarters. His sweetheart
visited him and the police suspected
that she smuggled morphine to him as
he was found one day under the influence
of that drug shortly after she left him.
1t appears now that she must have also
smuggled him saw. He escaped this
morning just after the other prisoners
had been taken up to the Court Room
by saving the bars of the window in the
corridor Straight was the only prisoner
left down stairs. He cut one of the bars
close to the masonry work and by fore
Squeeze through. He must have passed
over the sheds in the rear of the prison
and so into Gregory street. He had no
hat. AS soon as his escape was discovered
a general alarm was sent out
The police questioned all conductors of
trolley cars and learned that Straight had
boarded a Bayonne car at Barrow and
Grand streets and left it at Bishop street.
a half mile further up Grand street.
Captain Kelly was sent to that point to
trace him. 1t is believed he met his
sweetheart there and was furnished with
a hat and other clothes. Straight is
daring and desperate man. The New
York and Newark police have been
notified to watch for him.
At the place in the corridor where
Straight sawed the bar is a closet. This
hid him from the view of the other pris-
ohers and Keeper Watson. 1t is remark
able that he was able to squeeze through
the bars, as they are but seven inches
apart.
fence he was seen by Mrs. Smith, one of
the cleaners at Police Headquarters. She
gave the alarm and the reserves. of the
Gregory street station were turned out at
the fence, but Straight was too quick for
him, and was in the street before the po-
uc61Qdn I6acue0 the next ydFQ. 3OOlu
tore his shirt in climbing over the fence.
He was in his shirt-sleeves.
1t was learned Mter that Straight.
way near Wager's Stable, three doors
above Police Headquarters. When he left
the car at Grand and Bishop Streets he
Grand street by a peddler, who said he
had bad scratch on his face, ana that
his lips were badly swollen. This was
probably caused by his forcing his head
between the bars The next heard of the
swindIer was from an operator in the sig
nal station on the Erie Railroad, at the
the description of Straight Later the
same man was seen on the rear
of a freight train bound for Weehawken;
The Weehawken police were notified and
Jersey City policeman was sent there
to aid them in identifying the swindler.
New, charges are being piled up against
serious than any heretofore made against
him. 1t is thought that he is the man
who has been swindling the United States
means of forged money orders. His hand
writing has been compared by experts
with that on the forged orders and has
committed in Philadelphia. Colonel Byrne
of the United States Express Company
was to have c2me to Jersey city % on the
tify Straight. He was just getting ready
to leave his office when he received word
from Chief Murphy by telephone of the
At I:15 o'clock this afternoon the police
arrested the woman who helped Straight
to escape. She is known as Blanche
Straight and she says she was married
to the swindler in Jersey. City. She is a
beautiful woman and is but twenty one
years old. Her arrest was attended by
circumstances almost as remarkable as
those of the escape
Chief Murphy was returning from lunch
when ait the foot of the stairs to Police
HEADQUARTERS he met Mrs Straight.
fter greeting her lhe said -
Haven't we always treated you wen
she replied looking puzzled.
Have you ever had cause to COM
plain ~
mo-.
saThen don't you think you have played.
US pretty shabby trick Z.
What do you meany yy