The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-17
ESCAPED FROM COURT; CAUGHT
PRISONER GETS AWAY WHILE
JURY POWDERS CASE.
Found In Newark Later. but the Case Had
Bcen Declared Mistrial-Sleuth, Fol-
loving VIE, Found Him-Court
Oflcers to BE Questioned Monday,


William j. Fields Gillespie, who was being
tried in General Sessions before Judge
Mcmahon yesterday on a charge OF forgery
In the second degree, escaped from the
Criminal Courts Building while the jury
was celebrating on the verdict In his case
Such an escape is without precedent In this
county.
When the prisoner could not be found
after a search of three-quarters OF an hour
Judge Mcmahon was forced to dismiss the
ilry, He decided that the case must 60 as
a rnistrial.
The escaped prisoner was caught in State
street, Newark, shortly after 5 O. clock last
evening by Detective Sergeant flay, who fol-
lowed Gillespie's wife to Newark on a lacka-
wanna train and saw her slide down an
embankment into yard IN the rear OF
house, pass through an alley and join her
husband in the street
Fhy ught Gillespie. who drew knife
and cut the detective on the hand. Detec-
tive Sergeant Long of Newark. who was
watching the house, ran to Flags assistance
and pulled Mrs Gillespie away as she was
trying to help her husband. II was IN the
struggle for the knife that GillespIe's
hand was cut
Long and Flsy landed Fields in police
headquarters at Newark, He was com
nitted for thirty days as a disorderly per
son. He will be held Tor rcqUi-ition.
Gillespie, who has also been known TO
the police az Fields, got away while he WAS
being taken from the court room to the
prison pen on the floor below. That care
lessness on the part of the court officers
was responsible for his escape there is
no doubt. Judge Mcmahon is to hold an
Investigation on Monday to fix the blame.
The man has long record OF fraudu-
Isn't check transactions. He had admitted
on the stand in the case in which he was
being tried that lie had been twice in jail,
once in Elmira Reformatory FOR grand
larceny and once in Sing Sing for assault
He Is 80 years old, slight, clean shaven
and cunning. Several years ago he married
q Miss Kohler of Newark who belongs to
q good family there Neither she nor her
family knew then Of his criminal record
Fields was arrested on June - on
charge of forging the name OF Mrs. Minna
A. Seitz to check for $+l5 on tine Mount
Morris Bank. 1t was alleged that he had
sent the check TO the bank by Il messenger
boy, with note asking that the check be
cashed. The boy, Thomas Lynch, got the
money and testified in the trial that he
returned with il and gave it to Gillespie.
Gillespie was arrested in New street a
month later He took the stand himself,
denied that he had ever seen the check or
the boy, and maintained that it was case
of mistaken identity.
Yesterday was the third day Of the trial.
Gillespie, when court convened, was brought
into court from the prison pen by Court
Officer James Degnon. He sat beside his
lawyer, James p. O'Connor of 50 Broad
way, during the summing up Of the case.
Degnon sat beside him. His wife and his
sister had come down as usual to await
the verdict, but. owing to Mrs. Gillespie's
condition, Lawyer O'Connor says that he
asked her to wait outside the court room.
There was no seat in the corridor, he says,
90 he led the two women into Part H., the
adjoining court room, which was empty.
Judge Mcmahon finished his charge to
the jury in the case about 12A5, and the
jurymen filed out After them went the
prisoner, with Officer Degnon.
To get to the prison pen, which Is on the
floor below, a prisoner has to 60 through
a narrow passageway connecting Part l.
and Part II. Near the door Of this pas
sage there Is narrow flight OF stone steps
leading down into the prison pen.
1t Is the custom for the court officer taking
the prisoner to the pen to lead him to the
head OF these stairs and see that the keeper
Of the pen is at the foot waiting to receive
The man. The rules are that an officer
shall always be at the foot OF the stairs as
long as any prisoner is in court. The officer
with the prisoner is supposed to call down
to the man below that prisoner is coming
down and whether he is to be held or to be
taken over the Bridge OF Signs. II the
officer at the foot OF the stairs answer
All right" the prisoner Is then Above to
20 down the short fight Of stairs to the pen.
Ofwhat happened yesterday after Degnon
got in the hall with his prisoner different
stories were told yesterday. According
TO Degnon's story" to Judge Mcmahon he
took the prisoner to the head OF the stairs
and called out to Edward Frank. the man
below. Degnon said that he heard Frank
call back, "All right" and let the prisoner
70 down the stairs
Frank on the other hand, said that he
had been in the pen all the time, as Gillespie
was the last Of thirty three prisoners
brought over in the morning from the Tombs
10 be accounted for. He told Judge
NcMahon that he neither heard any one
call out nor saw the prisoner and asserted
that the man had never come back into the
pen from the time he left it.
Frank stuck to thi; story all day. Deg
cor, on the other hand when questioned
later by Clerk Carroll of the court, said that
he didn't see Frank, but let the prisoner go
down the stairs because he heard some one
csl! out that it was all right.
Opposite and not ten feet from the head
AZ these stairs is a door that leads into the
other court room. In this room were sitting
Gillespie's wife and sister. The door lead
Ing into this room was unlocked and was
the only possible way anybody could take
to yet out OF the hall without going back
TO the court room.
When the court officers and detectives
In their search for the missing prisoner
examined this room they found footprints
that led them to believe that the prisoner
made his escape In that way, after Degnon
had turned his back.
The jury took only eight minutes to
reach q verdict Of guilty in the case. They
were waiting when the word came that the
prisoner had escaped. When the police In