The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-30
PRISON KEEPER SLAIN
A "TRUsTY, PROBABLY FATALLY IN
JURED AND A JAIL BIRD KILLED.
De.pernte Attempt by Two Criminals
IN secure Freedom-One Success
full I'm Gaining Liberty.

NEW YORK. Oct 29.-Two colored pris-
oners, in an attempt to escape from the
prison attached to the Seventh District
Court. in West Forty-fourth street, to-
day killed Keeper Hugh McGovern, fifty
one years old. and probably fatally injured
George Wilson, fifty-nine years old, a
''trusty" who evidently had tried to aid
McGovern. One of the prisoners. Arthur
Flanagan, escaped; the other, Frank Emer-
son fell into the yard adjoining the prison
ssi was instantly killed.
The prisoners were together in cell
on the first tier, on level with the fourth
-four Of the prison. They sawed two bars
I'm the lower part of the cell door and got
into the corridor. They went to the near
est window, about six feet from the floor,
and sawed one bar at the bottom, showing
IL out and getting through. In doing this
it is supposed they encountered McGovern
and Wilson. killing one and wounding the
other. How this was done is not known,
as Wilson cannot give an account OF what
happened. The escaping prisoners used
their bedding for a rope and swung from
a window Flanagan succeeded in swing
ing to the roof of a car stable adjoining.
head-long to pile of rails. where his body
was later found with the skull crushed In.
The men must have left their cells sew
eral hours before the fact was discovered,
AT 5 o'clock Keeper John Brady. who had
been in the office all night, went, as is his
custom. TO the male prison on the fourth
floor. As he was walking around the cor
ridOr of tie No. he came across the body
of Keeper McGovern. 1t lay face down.
ward I'm a pool of blood with great wound
In the head. Near by lay the prisoner,
Wilson, who was still grooming. A sur
geon who was called in said McGovern had
been dead some time. He said Wilson
would probably die. Wilson is fifty-nine
years OF age Ee acted as 'trusty' and
had the confidence of the officers. They
believe he was hurt while aiding McGov-
ern.
Emerson was under bail of 5000 on two
charges OF burglary. Flanagan. who had
ionable restaurant, also was under heavy
bail for burglary.
Ii is the belief of the attaches OF the
prison that a woman is at the bottom of
the whole trouble and that it was she
that furnished the file with which the
prison bars were sawed through. 1t was
said that the woman, whose name is not
known, came TO the prison Saturday even
Ing 10 see the prisoner Emerson, and Ii is
thought that il was at that time she
struggled I'm the file. The same woman
had prior TO that time secured a lawyer
for Emerson. When the body of Keeper
McGOvern was searched it was found that
his keys and revolver had been taken
from him. Neither. however, were found
In the pockets of the dead desperado,
which leads 10 the belief that they are
In the possession of Flanagan.
When Emerson was taken to the police
station house on the night of Oct. IS he
removed his shoes and then called Door
man Coghln to the cell door. Emerson
ar aud hr14r crI,f aal Of
shoe down upon his head, cutting it
open. In the struggle which followed
II took the combined efforts of several
policemen 10 subdue the prisoner.