The times., 1901-04-11
A CONVICI'S DARING LEAP
j. Z. Green's Escape From the
MOundsville Penitentiary.
The Prisoner Sentenced for Crimes
Committed i'm Washington-Saidt to
he Dying From ConsumptIon-
Bad Record rs Syyindier and Thief

he Dying From ConsumptIon-
Bad Record rs Svvindier and Thief
Joseph T.. Green. swindier and thief.
who tried to kill Detective Muller while
! under arrest in this city two years ago.
! and who was serving term OF four years
| in the penitentiaTy at Moundsville. W.
| Va, for two cases of larceny, made his
escape from that institution last Sunday
night, and is yet at large. The police here
learned last night of the episode, and will
endeavOr to locate and rearrest the fugi-
| tive. Green is suffering from consump-
tion. and has several times been near
death since sent to prison. He has long
criminal record.
Information here is that the escape took
place shortly after midnight Sunday. 1t
was a daring feat, for Green had to leap
from n twenty-foot wall surrounding the
prison, after climbing out of narrow
window, from which he had previously
removed the iron bars n long rope was
found dangling from the window to the
wall. by means of which it is thought
the fugitive lowered himself to the top of
the wall. Then he jumped to the ground,
and apparently was unhurt All trace of
Green has since been lost. but the local
police suspect he may have returned to
this city. This belief is based on the fact
that several robberies similar in charac-
ter to those formerly committed by Green
have been reported during the past two
days. These thefts are now being investi-
gated
The police are all the more surprised at
the escape of Green because he was
thought to be dying. He is known here
as desperate thief, with a bad record.
and has been arrested many times in this
city. On June u, 1888. Detectives Board
man and Gallagher arrested Green at his
home in Georgetown. There were two
charges against him at the time, one OF |
grand larceny, the other of petty larceny. |
1t was alleged that Green had stolen a |
wheel from the bicycle shop of Harry w. |
Higham. 105 Street southeast. and after /
his arrest the police connected him with /
the theft of bicycle from the establish
ment of Richard r. Burr. formerly deal
eT in wheels at 81 Ninth Street northwest.
Rurr was then the agent for the Olive !
Bicycle Company and Green appears to
have been in search of such a wheel to |
sell to one of his customers. He was tried !
on both charges. and convicted. being sem
fenced to about year in the District /
Jail
The schemes worked by Green were
but his method of advertising
in the papers for the sale of bicycles led |
to his capture a second time. Thefts of
wheels were reported by G.. ID. Ellsworth,
of 213 Sixth Street northeast; Adrian AL
liare, of 1903 Street northwest; Miss
Emma l.. Craigin, residing at 1340 Tenth
Street northwest. and others, during Au-
gust and September. 1889. The losses were
reported by the respective owners of the
bicycles, and the detectives found that the
wheels were advertised for sale in the
papers several days after the disappear
ance. In several instances, also, it was
learned that man answering the de-
of Green had called on persons
who replied to the advertisements. and |
after ascertaining the make of wheel |
wanted by the prospective purchaser. had
furnished such bicycle within n couple
OF days. Suspicion again fell on Green, |
and efforts to capture him were made
Detectives Muller and Baur were stroll /
ing along the Avenue near Twelfth Street |
northwest on the night of October IS,
1893, when they met Green. They had
been looking for him for weeks, and |
Muller at once took him into custody
ISaur was short distance away. and be-
fore he could come up Green drew pair
of brass knuckles from his pocket and
attempted 10 strike Muller over the head.
Baur saw the knuckles even before Null
Ter did, and ran to help the latter. To-
eether the detectives took Green to |
and afterward locked him
up.
Meanwhile Inspector Boardman had re-
ceived a complaint from a man who
claimed to be an acquaintance of Green, |
to the effect that the prisoner had robbed
him of all his clothing and of papers of
value. According to this report, Green
had formerly roomed with the complain
ant at Il house near Tenth and f Streets |
northwest one morning about two weeks
before his arrest Green had arisen early, !
packed his own effects and those OF his
in Il trunk, and shipped the
trunk out of the city, to some point in
Tennessee. The police were on the track
Of the trunk when Green was arrested |
charged with stealing the bicycles, and
lfterward located and secured the trunk |
which was shipped back to this city and |
used as evidence against Green.
When brought to trial Green was ar
aligned on several counts of both grand |
md petty larceny, on all of which ne was
He was sentenced to four
ears in the penftentiary, and later sent ,
q Moundsville. The fugitive is about :
weHty-four years of age. rather tall and
slim. lie is widely known to the police
Iere.
Once before did a convict escape from
he Moundsville penitentary 1t was !
bout twelve years ago, and the officials
II the prison have not yet been able to ,
ully explain how it was done. 1t is gen
rally believed an escape is impossible,
inleSs the fugitive has assistance from r
Without the prison. Guards are stationed
III about. and are doubled at night The {
yall itself is a protection difficult to over