The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-10-24
His Escape From Hopkinsville
Asylum Was Not Unexpected.
There Was Never Much Stock Taken
In tho Claim That He Was
Crazy.
CAN nj NOW BE ExTRsDITEDg

/ The escape of George r. Warner.
slayer of Pulaski Leeds. master me-
chanic of the L. e. N. at Louisville,
from the Hopkinsvil,e asylum night
before last. has attracted widespread
attention throughout the state, and
an Interesting question in connection
with mis- being at large is whether
or not he could be eNtradited II
found outside of the state.
The Hopkinsville New Era says of
Warmers escape:
Since his arrival he.e Warner had
shown no sign OF being crazy, but he
was made the object of special care
and was assign, d to the violent ward
with extra precautions 20 prevent
him from escaping and to guard
against suicide. Notwithstanding
that his condition bore no evidence
of insanity, attention was not relax
ed and he was confined in a room to
himself in th2 third fiat, high above
the ground and securely sc. eened.
ami II was believed that he had no
avenue of escape.
Sunday night, after $3.50 O'Clock.
VIII n the night watch went on duty
Warner succeeded in removing an
iron plate over the hook on the doc"
of his room and picked the lock. Be
ing an expert maohinist he had evi'
d ptly carefully studied the meehan-
ism of the lock and when the oppor-
tunity was presented. was able to
force tho doo:
The night watch passes Though
the halls every hour of the night. and
!. was while tn guard was in anoth-
CIR part Of the building thai Warner
slipped out. Putting on his clothes
which wer2 hanging on tho outside
of his door. Warner craftily paced
anothen patients clothes on the hook
from which + had taken his In or
der to fu the deceive tho Waterman.
In some manner unknown, using
probably tho same instrument with
which nc picked his ward door, War
ner opened tn door to the hall and
thence escaped through the basement
Of the institution A guard patrols
the outside of the buildings, hut
Warner was abb to leave the grounds
without being noticed. His escape
was discovered at i:45 this morning
and search for him was immediate
~ Instituted, but he had not loft a
clue behind BY telephone and tele-
graph the police of every town for
hundred miles around were notified,
and the asylum officials believe that
4 Is only a QUESTION of time when the
missing man will be captured.
Warner was in splendid physical
condition and being a man of power
fll physique would p owe ve.y daa-
gerous 3! he were disposed to show
/ fight.
Lately Warner has persistent
sought to be granted outside privil-
eyes. and specially desired TO be Civ
en- work in the engine rooms, buc
Or. Board had refused his requests.
fearing he might escape. Warne'
had insisted that he was satisfied with
conditicas at the institution and that
II he wanted to escape no cell could
hold him. n spent much time. out
of doors, but always under guard.
Warner. while at the institution
never hestatel TO talk to any one in
Iteresled about the killing of Leeds.
i lie conversed in a perfectly rational
manner and was glad TO recount his
alleged Wrongs which caused him to
murde- the railroad man. He claim
ed that he was justified in shooting
Mr.. Leeds and that the jury wrong
fully sent, need him TO death.
Yesterdays Louisville Post said :
The question as 20 whether or not
Warner can he extradited aad
brought back TO Kentucky, If he had
crossed the stas line, is one which Is
Iperplexing those Interested in ehe
case.
Many years ago, when Col Tom
Buford, of Woodfo 4 county, shot
and killed Judge Elliott, of the supe
rior court. and cscaped capital pun
ishment on tho plea of insanity, he
escaped from the Lakeland asylum
and went to. New Albany. Here he
boldly faced his pursuers with the
calm announcement that while ne
might be insane. he was sane enough
to know that he could not be extra
dlted for lunacy.
Tho case was tried out In tht
A. al a al .ol