The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-02-14
DEMBNTED BOY ESCAPES
FROM POLICE CUSTODY
Recaptured at His Home
Later in the Day.
Locked Up in Witness Room mt No. 1
Prccinct-RemOyes Bars From
the Transom.

| A prisoner youthful and unruly was
/ Harry Green. aged sixteen, who fled for
/ liberty yesterday from the police of two
precincts and who is now confined at ST
Elizabeth's Asylum for the Insane.
Charged with insanity, the lad was ar
rested for second time last evening and
lodged in a witness room at No. 1 station.
By forcing the bars of the transom over
his door he had previously made his es-
cape from the station so he was put in a
cell Later he was sent to the asylum.
At House of Detention.
Young Green lives with his mother at
1871 Street southwest. He is a hand
some youth. with dark eyes and light
flowing hair. Yesterday he was picked up
by the police somewhere in the First
Ward and sent TO the House of Detention.
No sooner had he reached the institution
than trouble began.
Green entered the Nrilding nervously
and stood fer a moment before the desk
of the sergeant on duty. The young pris-
ouer dashed suddenly out of the room,
through the little hallway and down the
front steps into the street. Then began
merry chase.
AS Green reached the sidewalk he
started to run, and half a dozen police
men ran after MIN. Down several streets
the boy fed. and it was not until he had
grown weary that he was finally capt'Irai
He =as then taken back to the House OF
Detention, but later it was deemed best
to send him to the police station for
safety. The prisoner was taken 10 Nc,
station and was locked up in the north
west witness room.
This was about o'clock in the after
noon. Police Surgeons Vale and Marbury
subsequently visited young Green, and
their report seems to have led TO sum
mons having been sent for an ambulance
in which to remove the lad to st. Eliza
beth's. AT $50 o'clock the ambulance ar
rived in front of the station. All was then
in readiness for the prisoner, but Their,
was no prisoner.
Removed the BARS.
The prisoner had removed the bars
from over his door, while standing on
his bed. which he had drawn close
against the door inside the room for that
Once the bars were out Of place.
it was an easy matter for Green to climb
UP and over the door through the tran
som. From thence he jumped nimbly to
the floor of the hallway, unseen and I'M
heard.
Some time between 5 and 6 o'clock Jani-
tor Brown. cleaning the rear room of
the station, saw a figure gliding out
through the shed in the rear of the sta
ton. The figure passed between the !
patrol wagon standing in the shed and /
the wall and then disappeared in the al ,
ley beyond II was already quite dark T:
and Brown thought nothing of what he I
had seen. Ii occurred to him only that !
one of the policemen or the patrol driver !
had gone into the alley.
Fifteen minutes after this the ambu-
lance arrived to remove young Green to |
the asylum. Then he was missed. A
search was begun and several officers ]
started in quest of the fugitive. Police T.
man Money went to the home of the miss |
ing youth, where he found the latter. !
Green was taken back to the station. and /
soon afterward was on his way 60 st. |
In the past many prisoners. some of |
note. who bore the marks of respectable !
ity, have been confined in the witness |
rooms of the various police stations. This |
practice has always given rise TO some |!
danger of escape. and steps may new be 1
taken to secure additional safeguards in |!
the stations.