The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17


ranged a time that this accomplice should
be at one of the back windows of the Jail.
SECURING SAWS, ETC.
The Jail authorities say the men must
have chosen a very dark night to carry
out their scheme. One of them took a
sheet from O'Learys bed and tearing il
into small strips tied the plug from the
washstand to one end and threw the plug
out between the bars of the window. The
person on the street then had simply TO
tie the saws and acid TO the string and IL
was drawn UP. 1t took but a few minutes
to accomplish the whole thing. The rest of
the Jail delivery, while it would have taken
time. would have been easy had it not been
for the vigilance of the jailers, who dis
covered it in time to prevent the escape of
the prisoners After the discovery of the
plot Vance Johnson was at once sent to
Jeffersonville and Ross followed as soon
as his patient became we'll enough for him
to leave.
James OLeary was arrested on a state
ment made by his wife. Hattie O'Leary.
at the City Hospital a few minutes before
she died. Her death occurred on Saturday
night, Feb. H. and directly due to
pneumonia, which was brought on, the
physicians say by terrible injuries which
she said were inflicted by her husband. The
woman was only in the hospital three days
before she succumbed.
The late Deputy Coroner Gels conducted
a post-mortem examination of the body.
and found that the ninth and tenth ribs
on the right side had been fractured and
driven into the lung. There also tes-
timony given to the physicians of a very
damaging nature by persons who had cared
for the woman prior to her admission to
the hospital After this testimony had
been gathered the case was turned over to
the police.
James O'Leary, when arrested. was work
ing at Southport lineman in the en-
ploy of the Central Union Telephone Com
pany. and while working there his wife
lived at the Marshall House, -on North AL
ALBANIA street.
The police say that about six weeks be-
fore his arrest OLeary. who is powerful
man. came to the city to visit his wife. He
was in a quarrelsome mood, and. ii is said,
while the woman lay helpless in bed he
attacked her. striking and breaking her
ribs and inficting other injuries.
Detectives Haley and Splan made the
capture. They received information the
Sunday night following the woman's death
at o'clock that O'Leary was living in
Southport, and at $3.50 they were back in
the city with their prisoner. which is con-
sidered by policemen as remarkably fast
work.
When first arrested O'Leary denied that
he was responsible for the death of his
wife, and denied having kicked her while
she lay helpless in bed. but he has adj
mitted since then that he was in the city
at the time il is said the assault occurred
and also admits having struck his wife.
The most damaging evidence against him
is the statement made by his wife short
ly before her death. There are witnesses.
however, il is said, who will be introduced
at the trial to show that little confidence
can be placed in this last statement of his
wife and that it was wholly untrue.
JAMES EDGEY'S REPUTATION.
James Edgey bears II worse reputation
than either of the three men. He had been
arrested a number of times before his last
capture and had also served several terms
IN both the pentientiary and Jail. The
charges against him heretofore were usu-
ally assault and battery.
AT the time of his last arrest it was
not known by the police that he had Just
previously had fight with Corcoran The
reason for his capture was that he and
negro. Mead Taylor. who was porter in
the Armitage saloon on West Washington
street. were implicated in the stabbing of
James Eaton during a drunken quarrel
that occurred in the saloon. and when he
was taken by the officers there was moth
ing known about the assault of Corcoran,
which had occurred in another saloon a
few hours before.
Corcoran was found by the police in an
unconscious condition. and when the ambu-
lance arrived the physician in charge told
them that he was dying. Some of the by
ISLANDERS. upon hearing of this, charged
Edgey with the assault.
AT the police station Edgey defiantly said