The times., 1898-10-13
ESCAPED FROM HIS CELL
Eugene Powell Was at Liberty
for Nearly Nine Hours.
RECAPTURED By ACCIDENT
The Police Are Mystified Over the
Occurrence-Major Sylvester Calls
ID an Unfortunate BuDsIe - The
Fugitive Was Found Late mt Night
His Uncle.

Eugene Powell, the alleged murderer of
Patrick Lee, was at liberty for nearly
nine hours yesterday, having in myste-
rious way delivered himself from confine-
ment in the Sixth Precinct police station
early in the afternoon, only to be recap
tured late at night while leaning against
a telegraph post, apparently awaiting the
arrival of delayed means wherewith to
make good his escape.
How Powell escaped is mystery which
he alone can explain. Several theories
have been advanced, but only two of
them seem feasible One is that the cell
in which he was confined was not locked
and the other that he picked the lock
with some instrument which he had con-
cealed about his person. It is not believ-
ed that Powell had assistance from
friends.
At I:49 O'Clock officer Mansfield went
TO Powell's cell and gave him a drink of
water. The lock was then intact. AT
2:l5 Mansfield returned to the cell TO get
Powell and start him off TO jail in the
patrol wagon, he having been held for
murder by the coroner's jury at the in
lAtSA ONt l~Gt- lfE NSll Aooi ncS SMUT
the lock was gone. and so was Powell
The officer rushed around the corridor
hoping to find the fugitive hiding there.
He then ran out into the office of the
station, and meeting Sergeant Falvey
coming up the steps from the street ex-
claimed breathlessly:
Hes gonei"
-'Wso2" asked the sergeant.
Powell
Falvey rushed off TO Police Headquar-
tiers to acquaint Major Sylvester of the
escape. Mr.. Sylvester acted promptly.
The different precincts were notified to
keepan extraordinarily sharp lookout and
all bicycle and mounted policemen avail
able were sent TO scour the surrounding
country and the reserves were detailed
TO watch all roads leading from the city.
Policeman Mccormick, of the Eighth
Precinct, is the man to whom the credit
of the first capture of Powell
is due. He is also charged with the re-
sponsibility of having allowed him 10 es-
cape. He is the officer who, at the con-
clusion of the coroner's inquest at u
o'clock took Powell back to cell No 5.
He supposed he had securely locked the
man away, but that he did not is the
theery given the greatest credence by
the police
The lock is a cumbersome affair, weigh
ing about six pounds. and of the round
pad variety, with six or seven tumblers.
II is supposed that the prisoner slipped
the lock from the staple, raised the hasp
attached TO the heavy fourteen-inch bolt.
which IS really what keeps the cell door
shut slipped the bolt from its socket in
the iron casing, opened the door, stepped
into the corridor, first putting the lock
on the bench in his cell. and then moved
along the corridor to the large doors,
turning to his left and, finding an exit
through the narrow doorway leadinS INTO
the paved passageway separating the sta
ton from the -four and feed mll Oh
George A. Meyers adjoining.
The passageway runs through from the
front- OF, the station TO the back yard,
where the horses and patrol wagons are
stabbed The stable yard opens into
broad affeyway, on the side OF which is a
vacant lot. Powell, as was subsequently
developed by the keen scent OF a blood
hound started up the narrow passageWay
and realizing he would be seen If he went
in the direction of the street, turned ana
started toward the stable yard. Half way
down the passage between the door from
which he emerged and the stable yard
window is located in the wall OF the nour
mill. Here the man stopped TWO en-
rloves of the mill, Charles Foley, the en-
gineer. and John Hickerson, feed nan
der. were standing there engaged in con-
versation. Powell spoke TO Hickerson IN
n low tone. and the latter, not being aple
"a distinguish the remark, suggested that
Powell come closer This he did, and
epeaking louder asked If he might be al
lowed TO come through the window and
rain the street by means of the front door
of the mill
Hickerson refused to allow this, and
Powell, as an only alternative, walked
holdlv through the stable yard. Gaining
tba alIevway. he headed across the lot foI
the Baltimore and Ohio freight yards
Here a freight train was making up ano
Powell is supposed to have boarded II
The train left for the Jersey yards al
Brookland a few minutes later
The liberty of Powell was OF snort uu-
ration. He was arrested at 1880 p. m. a
the corner of Third Street and South Car
oIina' Avenue southeast by Policeman
Ward. of the Fifth Precinct, and locked
fn a cell at No. station, where he vii
he held until committed to Jail. there tc
await the action of the grand jury.
Powell is charged with being a fugitive
from justice. and the name of Major Syl-
vester appears as complainant against
him.
Powell was found in company with his
uncle James Stewart who lives on X
street between Sixth and Seventh, and
was leaning in a nonchalant manner
against a telegraph pole on the corner
The neighbOrhood is an EXCEPTIONAL!
dark one and Policeman Ward coult
scarcely distinguish the forms of the tw'
men coming slowly down Third Street II
the direction of South Carolina Avenue
where they halted. He watched the forms
,ntentlv for a few minutes and crossec
over from where he stood observing them
and despite the fact that Powell hat
changed his clothes and discarded hi
sweater, recognized the face as the on,
described by Major Sylvester in the de
ecription sent out Powell made no effor
to escape and Stewart, seeing flight wa!
useless. pretended that he was just OF
the point of taking the fugitive TO tn,
station TO give him up.