The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-28
He Was to Have Been Taken to the
Indiana ReformatOry to Serve
from One to Three Years.
NEGRO LEFT NO TRACES BEHIND
SUPPOSED TO HAVE GOT AWAY
WHILE VISITORS WE'RE PRESENT.
Sheriff Departs with Two Prisoners
Instead of Three-Reward offered
for Harris's Capture.

George Harris, a convicted prisoner in
the Marion county jail, facing imprisonment
of from one to three years in the Indiana
Reformatory. escaped yesterday morning
from the sheriff's office in the Jail.
The circumstances of Harris's escape as
learned by inquiries from Deputy Sheriffs
K'mball and McNulty and from detectives
called into the case are that Harris was wait
ing In the Jail Office with MIN Davidson, col
ored, convicted of manslaughter. and AL
fred Darges, white, sentenced to the JEFF
fersonville Reformatory for highway rob-
berry, to be taken to Jeffersonville by Sheriff
Robert Metzger and Detective Adolph
Asch. Yesterday was visitors day at the
jail and people were passing through the
doors to the office frequently, being al
lowed to go in and out by the deputies in
charge of the office. When the time came
for the departure of the three prisoners
with their two guards, the sheriff and de-
tective, a count of noses revealed the fact
that one man was missing and this man
was Harris.
MADE GOOD HIS ESCAPE.
A search of the Jail and premises was
made. but the missing negro could not be
he slipped through the door while it had
been carelessly left open by a keeper.
Sheriff Metzger and Detective Asch started
for Jeffersonville with Davidson and
Darges after instructions had been given
the deputies to spare no pains in hunting
the escaped convict. Sheriff Metzger has
offered reward for his capture, but the
amount and the stipulations of the offer
anrrl6 v1nf hea a c "a
do not relish publicity in the matter of a
prisoners escape.
Captain Samuel Gerber, of the detective
department, was notified of the escape
shortly after the sheriff came to the con-
clusion that the man could not be found.
He detailed detectives TO look for him,
ally. he said last night he had not written
a description OF the man. Captain Gerber
was informed of the escape early in the
day. He kept the fact secret, acting under
instructions, it is said, from Sheriff Metz
ger.
DISCOVERY OF ESCAPE.
The discovery of the escape was made
by a reporter. who scrutinized the Jail list
and found that three men had been slated
for Jeffersonville, to serve sentences, but
only two had been taken. Turnkey John
Kimball when asked about the man
marked ESCAPED on the Jail list, said that
one of the TRUSTEES had strayed off, but
would probably return all right. He said
the man had been out cutting grass and
was thought to be only temporarily miss
ing. Deputy Sheriff McNulty said he did
not care to talk about the prisoners escape
at all and would neither admit nor deny
that a prisoner had run off.
Harris was convicted in the Criminal
Court of grand larceny on the charge of
having stolen a bicycle from DR.. George
Stallman. He was arrested by Detectives
Asch ard Manning, and from the evidence
against him il took the jury hardly more
than a minute to return a verdict of guilty
and secure for him a sentence of from one
to three years in the Indiana Reformatory.
Harris Is well-known police character
and suffers in his speech. 1t is thought
that he will be apprehended with little
difficulty, as his habits are well known to
the police and detectives.