The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-09-04
ESCAPE OF TOPEKA JOE,
Bank burglar Gets Away From the
Richmond Jail,

RICHMOND. Va, Sept 4-"Topeka
Joe" or Joseph B. Evans, with half a
dozen aliases. who is charged with bur-
from the Richmond Jail yesterday morning
about 3 o'clock. The escape of the pris-
oner created a stir in police and official
circles. This man, who is well known in
Baltimore, was after long and exciting
chase captured by Pinkerton detectives in
Montana and delivered to the authorities
at Williamsburg. For fear that he would
escape from the jail there he was removed
here for safe keeping.
The prisoner was assigned to one of the
strongest cells in the Richmond prison
and carefully watched. He was locked up
Sunday night and the wardens in making
their rounds about 8 o'clock yesterday
morning discovered the prisoners cell
door was partly open. An investigation
revealed the fact that he had effected his
escape. a wooden key, with which it is
supposed the man opened his cell door,
was found in the prison. Not far away
was the rope made of bedticking and the
iron clamps used by him in scaling the
jail walls and securing his freedom
1t is a mystery how some of these things
came into possession of the suspected bur
glar. He had received no visitors since
his commitment and only one packag e.
The latter came through the mails from
New York and contained two suits OF IN
dergarments and socks. City Sergeant
Smith. who is the custodian of the jail,
is absent on a visit to Boston. The prison
is in charge of his deputy, Mr. Johnson,
who promptly telegraphed description of
Topeka Joe" to all of the principal cities
of the country.
The man is regarded as one of the most
dangerous burglars in the country and
every effort Will be made to recapture him.
When the prisoner was turned over by the
Pinkerton men to the Williamsburg jaiIer
the latter warned by them to chain him
to the prison floor or he would escape
This precaution was not thought necessa-
y then, as it was proposed to remove the
prisoner to the Jail here. The Pinkertons
will send a man here ait once to endeavor
to get on the track of the fugitive
BALTIMORE, Sept. frederick Wag-
ner, who was arrested in the Eastern Po-
lice district Of Baltimore Saturday night
and is now in jail awaiting a hearing on
the charge Of stealing two watches from a
person unknown, is thought by the police
to be partner of Topeka Joe," alias Jo-
seph B. Evans. bank burglar who es-
capped from the Richmond Jail yesterday
morning.
Evans was arrested by Pinkerton detee-
tives on July % in Portland, Ore, aud it
was effected by the detectives following his
wife from Baltimore to Portland. 1t was
the Peninsula Bank at Williamsburg which
was robbed and $500 is cash was OBJ
tanned.
1t was said that while the bank was be-
ing robbed it was surrounded by citizens,
among them being the sheriff Of the city
and the president Of the bank, aSd many
of them were armed with guns. although
the burglars were cognizant of the fact
that the bank was surrounded, they con-
tinued their work and made several at
lacks on the steel vault before gettfrg it
open, when they got their booty and
succeeded in getting out of town.
Topeka Joe" kept saloon in Balti-
more at Canton Avenue and Ann Street
prior to the robbery and Wagner Is said
to have been an Intimate friend OF his at
that time.