The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-08
1t Ii Thought "a Plan Had Been Out
lined by stephen Burns to
Gain His Liberty.
BADLY WANTED IN CHICAGO
JOE FERRITER, WHO ON
BURNS, HAD A SAW.
He Was Promptly Arrested and
Charged with Loitering-Detec-
tive Comes for Burns.

A metal frame for a band saw. such as is
used in saving steel and iron. and a re-
volver were yesterday found secreted in a
cellrOom at police headquarters. The re-
volver had no cartridges in It. The saw
frame was without a saw blade. 1t is
thought the saw which had been in it had
been broken, but the officers that searched
the prison could not find evidences of it's
use there.
Thursday Joe Ferriter. who has an IN
enviable police record. was arrested and
charged with lettering. He had been ar
rested in company with VIII Mcclure. who
was charged with stealing $14 from his fos-
ter parents. Ferriter was released y~ester-
day morning. During the afternoon he re-
turned to police headquarters and was per-
mitted to talk with Stephen Burns, who
was arrested at the Oneida Hotel and slated
as a fugitive wanted at Chicago. where he
escaped from the police during trial in
court.
While Ferriter was talking Detectives
McGuf and Dugan entered the turkeys
office. Ferriter was well known TO both
of them. and McGuff kept an eye on him.
Ferriter has but one arm. While he was
talking in a low voice to Burns a frame
Will d OAHU saw uTODpeu IIOUl uHucT ne
stump OF his other arm. Ferriter looked
down at the saw and said: 81 wonder who
threw that out here McGuff picked up
the saw, grabbed Ferriter, searched him
and then locked him up on a charge Of
lettering.
superintendent Taffe, Captain Gerber and
the bicycle police were advised. and to-
gether they made a thorough search of the
cells. finding the saw frame and the re-
volver. Nothing could be learned from
Burns or Ferriter of the articles, but there
was no doubt in the minds of the officers
that Ferriter had brought them to the
police station. That Ferriter had no re-
volver was attributed to the fact that he
did not have enough money to buy both the
saws and the revolver.
BURNS'S RECORD.
Burns was connected with numerous rob-
berries of houses here, and is thought to
nave been implicated in robberies in neigh
boring towns. Twenty-Five fur garments
found in possession of a local furrier were
traced to him.. Although circumstantia
evidence against him here is strong, it was
decided to allow the Chicago authorities to
take him back there for trial, and a detec-
tive from that city came here yesterday
for the purpose. The fact that Burns has
a bad criminal record and is one of the
really smooth" operators Of the country
no doubt caused him to plan a desperate
attempt to escape, nowin that his return
to Chicago, where there is conclusive evil
dence against him, meant another term in
the penitentiary.
He was arrested on July s, 1896, at Chi
cago and convicted of burglary, being sent
to the Pontiac Reformatory i'm September.
1896. He was parOled April 4, 1900. and was
again arrested at Chicago on Jan. s, 1902.
on a charge of burglary. While being
tried on Jan. 20 he escaped from the court
room. He came direct to indianapolis, and
three days later a series of robberies be-
gan. They stopped Immediately after his
arrest.
Burns was arrested by Detectives Splan
and Haley. who saw his portrait i'm the
daily bulletin published by the Chicago po-
lice department. They thought they had
ture was showed to all local hotel clerks.
The clerk at the Oneida Hotel said a man
answering the description had been stop
ping there, but that his hair was dark in
stead of red. The officers waited about
the hotel the\ next day and learned that
Burns was in his room. They got in with
out awakening him. On a table in the room
was a Jimmy of peculiar shape. Under
his pillow was a revolver. He slept so
soundly they were able to examine his hair
without awakening him. 1t was found his
hair had been dyed, but the job was poorly
done and the natural reddish color was
plainly seen. After being sent TO police
headquarters he admitted his Identity.