Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-06
OVER THE FENCE AND OUT
Desperate Convict Escapes from Lincoln
P~enitsntiary BY Ruso.
DARING PLAN PROVES SUCCESSFUL
Theodore McManine, sent for Twelve
Years From Douglas County for
Highway Robbery is Now
at Large.

Theodore McManine, sent up for twelve
years for robbery from Douglas county last
January. escaped from the penitentiary at
Lincoln last Saturday and is still at large.
McManine was one OF a gang Of convicts
working as a hodcarrier on the new ad-
ministration building In the penitentiary
enclosure. It is supposed that the escape
had been planned for some time, as several
incidents, all seemingly accidental, oc-
Cured during Saturday forenoon to make II
possible, and It is supposed also that others
were In league with him. Little, however.
IL known as to the details OF the plot. One
OF the guards gives this account:
"McManine had been employed with sew
eral others all the morning carrying hods
Of mortar up to the second floor, and I
noticed that his clothes were so daubed with
the plaster that l could hardly make out
the stripes. 1 thought nothing of 1t at the
time, as I supposed II was accidental. Then
about fifteen minutes before the gong struck
for noon a hod of bricks fell from the sec
ond floor. II made a terrible c~latter, and
several Of the men narrowly escaped being
knocked down by the flying bricks. OF
course It diverted every ones attention for
the moment. The guards got the order TO
look sharp. and when the dust lifted the
convicts were lined up and told OF. While
this was being done someone noticed a
piece Of soaffolding leaning against the
prison wall.
over the Prison Wall.
eve found we were one man shy and q
reference to the list in the contractors
hands showed It to be NcManine. The
scaffolding against the wall told the rest Of
the story. The alarm was given at once
and armed guards were sent out In every
direction to hunt him down.
AT the time there was a picnic In prog
ress in the grove outside the prison grounds
and several trolley loads of people had Just
started back to town. The supposition is
that he had boarded one OF these cars. He
had so much mortar on his clothes as to
thoroughly disguise his prison gafb and he
might have passed In any crowd for q citi-
zen laborer."
The Omaha police and Sheriff Power were
notified Of the escape by telephone about
noon Saturday. Since then they have been
keeping a sharp lookout for the man, but
have seen nothing OF him. The theory gen.
orally accepted is that he boarded an out
going train the moment he reached LIN
coin, and that he is now several hundred
miles from the scene OF his spectacular
escape.
McManine. is described in the BertiIlon
SNSAN % INV ABS 80 years. weight
1bO pounds, height 8 feet 8 inches, COM
plexion fair. black hair and brown eyes.
Bold Crime of Prisoner.
On the night Of October ~, 1901. Theo-
dore McManine and a young man about his
age named Charles Glover, both residents
Of South Omaha. set out to paint the town.
After visiting several saloons and literally
patronizing each, they ran out Of money.
ANfaroAfa 80 hDrrAru N-N.
failed. The pair became desperate and re-
solved to turn footpads. The railroad yards
being a lonesome district, promised a fruit
full field and they turned their steps in
that direction. There, at the intersection
Of N street with the Union Pacific tracks,
they came upon an old man, John Andres
by name, employed as a hagman.
Pulling their hats down over their eyes,
| they approached him and ordered him TO
throw up his hands. He resisted them and
tried to give an alarm. Thereupon one Of
the desperadoes seized him by the throat
and hurled him to the ground, while the
other tried to rife his pockets, but the
old man struggled desperately. After
wrestling with him q moment one Of the
pair put a ouietus to their victim by
striking him on the head with the butt Of
a revolver. They then took his money, a
in silver and some small change. and hiS
watch, and went way leaving him for
dead.
The next day they were arrested and
taken to the bedside OF old man Andres,
who positively Identified both as his as
s~ailants. They were then locked up in the
Douglas county jail.
For a while 1t was thought Andres would
die Of his injuries. and even as 1t was he
was confined to his bed for nearly a month.
The men were tried before Judge Baker
In December of last year on a charge OF
robbery. Both were found guilty and Nc
Msnine was sentenced to twelve years in
the penitentiary, while Glover got of with
ten years. An extra two years was given
McManine because OF his persistent at
tempts to shield his pal. In pronouncins
sentence upon them Judge Baker said:
AFTER the brutal way you treated that old
man you may be thankful I am sentencing
you for robbery and not murder"
McManine and Glover were taken to the
penitentiary January is Of this year,