The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-01

Thursday and Friday, but the court
was not ready to try the case, and he
was ordered to have the prisoner in
readiness at the opening of the court
on Monday morning, so he brought him
back to Charlestown.
Il do not wish to express any opinion
with reference to Abbott until / see
him. He has not come home because I
ordered him to remain in Worcester and
do everything he could to recover the
man.
"All that / know is what / received
from him over the telephone. He re-
ported that he left the room only to
go across the entry to the mems toilet
room. Reeds wife was with him, and
he felt safe in going. He had not put
! the irons upon Reed. | understand
| presume because of her presence, Abb
bolt says he was gone bur very few
| minutes but when he returned Reed
| had gore. He said that he was to
| blame, but that he had felt safe from
| his previous experience with Reed. He
never should have left his prisoner, but
cannot talk further on that until /
have all the facts. If Abbott went out
of that room Reed should have gone
with him, fastened to his wrist That s
all that / can say on that.
Il do not know anything about the
Sherwood house, other than that is the
hotel selected by Reeds counsel for the
meeting. Reed has been with me, a
prisoner. since March, 1898. He was
sentenced on three cases for 'buncoing'
men, and this was the fourth charge
brought against him. He had eleven
years to serve. l don't remember the
amount charged in this Worcester
| case"
officer Abbott left Worcester for BoS-
| ton on the 220 train yesterday after
noon, but at 10 o'clock last night it was
stated at the prison that he had not
arrived Warden Bridges also stated
! that he would not allow Abbott to talk
| for publication.
| The fact has been stated by General
| Bridges that Reed was allowed to come
! to Worcester for the purpose of giving
| him time to consult with his counsel
before going into court, but inquiry at
| the Sherwood house deVelopes the fact
| that Colonel Gile did not call on his
client Sunday night, a telephone mes
sage being received at the house during
the evening saying that he was unable
to see Reed that night, and would have
a consultation with him Monday morn
! ing.
| This message was received not later
| than 1920 o'clock, and had Officer Abb
! bott followed the course suggested to
most officers in a case of this kind he
would have taken his prisoner to the
notice station or jail at once. His fail
| llre to do this resulted in the notorious
| prisoners escape.
Mrs. Reed remained at the Sherwood
House throughout the day yesterday,
! leaving during the evening, ostenslbly
| for Boston.
The opinion generally entertained by
| Worcester officials is that Abbott was
careless. to say the least, and that 1t
will be an exceedingly difficult matter
to locate Reed.
Inspector ODay said last night, in
reply to a question regarding what he
| thought of the mans probable appre-
| hension: II think there is very little
chance OF locating Reed He has too
many influential friends in various
parts of the country who will look after
his welfare. in case he comes their way
| There is practically nothing known re-
garding the circumstances attending
his escape that is real fact All there
is to work on is theory, and meanwhile
pursue the usual course so far as no
tifying officers in all directions"
/ Inspector O'Day had a short talk
with Abbott yesterday morning when
the officer told him the facts in the
case as have been printed. He ap-
Ipeared very much disheartened to think
Reed had succeeded in giving him the
slip.
When asked if he thought Reeds
or had arranged in any way for his
escape at this time, the inspector re-
$ marked that that was only theory
Reed was confined in the Summer
street 5ail for nearly two months last
fatl, and during that time was an ex-
emplary prisoner, but the Jail officials
| say they always considered him a very
slick Individual, and they took no
! chances with him.
At this institution his escapN is
looked upon as the result of great care
lessness. Sheriff r. H. Chamberlain
regards the mans escape as the result
of gross carelessness on the part of
officer Abbott
, He says it is customary to take pris-
oners of this sort to jail for safe-k keep
ing, and that Reed has been to the
county Jail on two occasions, although
he was brought there last Thursday or
Friday, as he was taken back to
Charlestown on this occasion.
Col. w. A. Gile, who has been coun-
sci for Reed during the past year. and
at whose request he was brought to this
city, was seen at his office by The Spy
man, yesterday afternoon. While he
had no theories to advance in regard to
the cause of Reeds sudden disappear
ance, he did remark that he thought
the state had adopted an unwise course
in further prosecuting man against
whom they had secured a conviction,
and which would detain Reed in prison
for at least twelve years. Mr.. Gile
said that he did not see Reed at the
hotel on Sunday night, but talked with
him over the telephone. He did not
consider it anything unusual that his
client had been taken to a hotel rather
than to jail, but was prone to admit
that there had been carelessness dis
played by his keeper. He was not in
Holt ToaG 10 n he ftrY4 h. i
was unable to say what would be done
TO apprehend the fugitive.
Iprecaution. Abbott pleasantly replied
that he could trust Reed, saying that
Reed would have come to Worcester
/ alone if the Worcester authorities had
wanted him. Court Officer Jenkins, in
particular, warned the officer about
Reed, but he replied that he was not
| afraid. Deputy Sheriff W. w. Scott
| ventured the remark at that time that
Reed would escape if greater care was
mot taken, and yesterday the remark
Il was recalled. The remark was pro-
phetic. Deputy Sheriff Emory o.
Bacon talked with officer Abbott
when Reed was brought to the bar of
the court Friday but Abbott stated
that there was no fear. These warnings
by the Worcester county deputies APP
pear now as the premonitions of APP
Il preaching calamity, and had they been
needed. but that is another story, as
Rudyard Kipling would say.
District Attorney Parker, in speaking
of the case, told the deputies that they
ought to congratulate themselves that
they had no connection with the unfor-
i tunate affair, and had shown their in
4 terest in the matter by their timely
warnings. There was general unan-
unity of feeling expressed that Reed
had gone for good.