The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-12-02
TOOK KEY,
CASH AND.
PANTS
GsntIsmanIy Burglar Tosk War
dsn's Wearing AppaTsI and
Changed Boarding Place.

ccurty de,eetIves ana a good many ef
McC'luskys ro-n ar. looking for John
Weber. gentleman burglar" who es-
capped jail in very ungentlemsnly way
at White Pisirs. Monday morning Not
only did the gentleman burglar as ne
is known ar No. ~ Mulberry street. take
advantage ot his nurse ny leaving the
isil hospital. while tho nurse was fskirg
a nsp. but ne imposed shsmsfully upon
Deputy Warden Frank A. Winn BY eu.
tering his room in the prison, taking his
trousers and wearing them away with
.he jail key in one pocket and sIs7 81 the
deputy wsrden's hsrd-esrned money In
the other. fF
In Just one way did wceber display
those qualities which have won for him
the sotriauet "gentiemap burglar He
was petite enough not TO awaken hts GUS
tcdians. All ths OF. sr prisoners are
wondering what Webber has done With
the koy 90 the big front iron door
Webber was arrested In this city last
July. While he was being taken to the
White Plains jail he jumped from the
train and his skull was fractured II
was thought for time that his injuries
would prove fatal, but under the care
YORK * ,pscisiist f y the n s prisoner had almost
recovered from his wounds when he de-
cided that II was time 70 escape. lie
was stu under the care Of Nurse James Jane.
McEwen. however. and he ana Night
Waterman Louis Reynolds were supposed
TO stuy awake and guard the prisoner al
THE hospital Of III. iaif is on the second
floor. The door la not locked al night.
as the big iron door Of the Jail below ~
supposed TO be barrier sufficient for any
prisoner who IL Ill enough to he kept In
q hospital John Webber had made
study OF the situation. and knew that he
must steal a kew before he could gain
his freedom. It 4es@
BURGLARIZED THE JAIL. st4
While his nurses were asleep and Night
Wstchman Reynolds was necessarily alb
sent. rs he says b." way OF excuse, Web
ber left his bed In the hospital, stuffed
pillow under tho covering to give the APP
pears uce that he was lying there asleep,
and wearing nothing hut his night robe.
went down stairs 10 practise his old
tricks an a burglar. Depnt? Warden
Frssk A. winn. he knew, was sleeping in
the jail as an extra precaution against
his making his escape. as the gentle
man burglar was supected OF feisning
illness, .
The door Of the deputy warden was
not locked and webber could see by the
beams of the electric light from the
street that the deputy warden's trousers
the door! Oh! how easy II was. The
prisoner found the Jail key in pocket
of the trousers and also discovered $le1
rolled up In another pocket. Fe put on
the trousers and returned to the hospital
on the second focr. He decided 10 take
the nurses shoes and overcoat. as they
were newer and warmer than his own.
He then walked steslthiy down the
stairs again. opened the iron door at the
front or the jail with the deputy war
den's key and walked away.
Night Watchman Reynolds and Nurse
MHEwen have been dismissed. Deputy
Frank A. Vim said: II had |
that fellow for some time. I
"a ID 20 DIR. Birch that thought he ought
TO be locked in the regular prison instead |
" being kept IN tho hospital Feeling |
that something like this might hsppen.-I I |
have been sleeping In the Jail I came |
In last night about O'Clock and found |
The nurse and the night wstchnsn cook |
ng toast for the prisoner. Then went |
10 bed.
wArCHMAN TO BLAME.
when the nurse and the night watch |
man waksned me this morning they told |
me that Webber had gone. The blame for |
his escape rests upon the night watch |
man. am slre he was asleep In the con-
sulta tion room.
Deputy Warden winn SAYS be Is salts
led that webber he's sccompiices, and
hat they were notified IN advance that
Nebber was about To- make his escape
rom The Jail. The prisoner had claimed
hat lie was engaged in work for the Sal
alton Army In this city, and the day be-
ore he escaped the Jail was called on the
telephone BY a msu who said he wss then
II salvation Army headaua rters here. The
nan told Deputy Warden Winn he had
ieard that Weber was dying in Jail and
sked II he could get word for the prison
RS ~ife as 10 the real condition OF Web
,er. The deputy warden replied that Web
'er had almost recovered. Since then he
vas ascertained that the call was not
rom Salvation Army headquarters but
rom No. aSs Melrose, which telephone
lumber ~ that OF the NonJwood club az
me Hundred and Fifty-sixth street and
'cutherr boulevard. The proprietor OF
iis club. or hotel. ir George = Johnson
Nhsn the detectives called at tho place N
vae ssid that no ono there remembered
nc circumstances of the cali - the tcie-
,hpDe.