New-York tribune., 1900-10-30
MURDER FOR FREEDOM.
A KEEPER KILLED AND BURG
LARS FATAL LEAP
NEGROES MAKE A BOLD DASH FOR
LIBERTY AND ONE GETS AWAY
A "TRUSTY" HURT.

the prison Of the Seventh District Court, in
West Fifty-fourth-st.. yesterday killed Hugh
McGovern, a keeper. ffty-one years old, Of
No 533 West Forty-third-st, and seriously in
jured George Wilson. fifty-nine years old, a
prisoner known as a 'trusty.' who had evil
IDENTIFY tried to aid McGovern. One Of the
prisoners escaped. The other dashed his brains
sout by falling into the yard beside the prison.
The prisoners were Frank Emerson. alias John
son, cClored, ex-convict twenty-five years
old. Of No. SO West Fifty-ffth-st.. the man
killed. Arthur Flanagan, colored nineteen
years old. of No 45 West Sixty-sixth-st.. es-
capped The prisoners were both in cell No.
3, of tier No l, on a level with the fourth floor
Of the prison. They sawed two bars in the lower
part Of the cell door and got into the corridor.
They next went to the nearest window and
sawed bar at the bottom, showing it out
and getting through. Below this window ten
feet to the north is the roof Of the Ninth-ave.
car stables, in the rear OF the jail. A foot
more from the Jail is the outer prison wall 1t
is believed as most plausible that the men low
cred themselves to the top of this and jumped
to the yard, thirty-dve feet below, although
there are other theories as to just how they
made their descent Flanagan at any rate
landed safely in the yard and escaped, while
Emerson lost his balance and fell. Two boards
under the window were broken as if some one
had struck them, and helped to prove this
theory. Emerson had in his clothes fine steel
saw five inches long, McGovern's keys and
watch and some money. One of the cell bars
had been used as bludgeon to kill McGovern-
KEEPERS AWFUL DISCOVERY.
Brady and McGovern were the keepers who
went on duty at p m. Monday for turn Of
twelve hours At > a. m yesterday Brady
whistled to McGovern usual. asking if all
was well. Receiving no reply, he began TO in
vestigate AS he was opening the outer door
a 'trusty' who was locked in one Of the first
tier cells called out to him not to enter.
There's hell in here" he yelled. Some Of
'em is out"
Brady ran down for his revolver and returned
In the corridor of tier No. 1 he found the body
of McGovern face downward in a pool of blood.
with a large wound in the head. Near by lay
the prisoner Wilson, who was still groaning.
Brady called Patrolman Willigan from the
street An ambulance surgeon from Roosevelt
Hospital said McGovern had been dead some
time. He took Wilson 10 the hospital. Wilson
has been in the prison for two years and was
subcommittee
The prisoner who called to warn Brady be-
lieved that Emerson and Flanagan were still
hiding in the corridors. Other prisoners said
they had feared to make any outcry. believing
the two men had revolvers and would carry out
holler."
Skelly the principal keeper said McGovern
was careful man without fear. He thought
the two men had bound and gagged the keeper
and taken his keys. They went TO the natron's
| office. expecting to overpower her and get out
| by the main entrance but had not been able
to unlock the door or else fearing discovery.
| had tried the window.
| Wilson recovered consciousness and was able
to walk He was taken to the West Forty
| seventh-st station by Captain Donohue and
| said the escape occurred between midnight and
a. m He ran out Of his cell and saw Nc
| Govern lying prostrate. He was STOPPING to
lift him up when he was himself knocked down,
| he thinks by Flanagan. The police retain
their confidence in Wilson and believe he will
later be able to give a more detailed story. He
| was removed later to Bellevue Hospital
| The prison warden and Commissioner Lantry
! of the Department of Corrections held an in
vestigation Of the tragedy. Annie Mangan, the
| rratron. told the Commissioner that she was
| reading a newspaper in her rooms in the worn-
! ems tier of the prison at 80 a m, when she
| heard one scream. II had not been repeated.
| Thinking some one was i'll. she had made the
rounds Of the cells and found everything in
| regular order She heard of no further trouble
| until morning
| a LONG INTERVAL IN THE SIGNALS.
| According to the Commissioner. it was the
| duty Of AIcGovern TO make hourly trips through
the tiers, and every fifteen minutes the keeper
in charge would whistle upstairs through a
| speaking tube. to see that all was right. Brady,
the keeper in charge, had given the customary
| whistle at a. m and the answer, "All right
| had been returned him. 1t is believed that
| the 'AII right came from one Of the prisoners
| 1t was just before a. that Brady whistled
! and met with no response 1t was not ex-
! planned what had happened between 3 a. m. ard
| 6 A. m. or whether Brady had given the Gus
! tomary signals The ''trUsty' who warned
| Brady when he went upstairs told Commissioner
/ Lantry that he heard a noise downstairs on
! the tier below his cell at about the time the
murder and escape are supposed TO have oc-
! Cured. 1t sounded to him like the scutfling Of
| feet He also. he said heard sound as i a
/ blow was struck. and then heard some one say;
! That's enough Don't give him any more
The Commissioner said II had not been deter
| mined how the saws were smuggled INTO the
! jail
COLORED WOMAN ARRESTED.
| Detectives Lyons Hammer and Fitzgerald, OF
! the West Forty-seventh-st station, arrested
| Deborah Whiting. coIored woman, yesterday
! afternoon as being a woman who called 10 see
! Flannigan at the West Side Court prison on
! Sunday She was arrested at her nome NO
| 300 West Thirty-seventh-st. 1t was said by one
Of the detectives that the woman had given i'm
portaut clews as 10 the Whereabouts OF the
| fugitive. and it is thought that he will be in
! CUSTODY in a short time. The woman was hela
! in the West Side Court prison without ball
! In her possesson was found letter believed
10 have been written by Flanagan. The hand
,,,r,,i, is +ba ga me as other letters written by