Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-09-21
CLEVER ESCAPE OF MRS. NOR
RIS.

Mrs. Laura Hull Morris, wifi OF DR..
Minor Morris, whose expulsion from the
White House on Janusry 4, 1906,
caused a national sensation, yesterday
left the secluded retreat in the hills of
New jersey where she has been in hid
ing psrt of The time since her escape last
July from the MissCn nri State Insane
Asylum, at Farmingt)n, Mo. She
passed through New York early sRtur'
day night on her way to Washington,
where she has engaged rooms st the Ed
bitt House.
Before leaving Gladstone, N. j., Mrs.
Morris told for the first lime the story OF
her sensational escape from the Farm
ington asylum. AS told by Mrs. Nor
rjs her adventures rank with those re-
lstt d by the masters of dramatic fiction.
In the disguise of 8 negro "mammy"
she slipped past the asylum guards and
wslked for miles through unfamiliar
woods at the dead Of night.
So effective was her disguise that her
own son. whom she encount red on the
plst(orm of the railroad station in St
Louis, did not recognize her and sh"
kent ND the character until sbe reached
Albany, N. Y, where friends who had
supplied the funds for her escape were
awaiting her. -,
"I was trapped into the asylum" " said
Mrs. Morris, "and 1 escaped through the
kindness of one of the attendants, Mss
Pinkston, who recognized The fact that l
was perfectly sane and aided me In every
possible way. Miss Pinkston not only
helped me t. escspe, but she concesled
the tact of my departure for several days,
aud when discovery was inevitable ar.
ranged a clever device which satisfied
the asylum authorities that | had got
sway unaided. Having covered my
tracks aud her OVID, she then resigned
from the ssylOm staff.
''The frst public infOrmstio that |
had escaped from Pennington was made
public on July IA of this year. 1t was
stated that l had left during the lreced-
ing night by looseniug bar of my cell
and sliding down rope made of towels
tied together. That was what the asy-
lum author ties believed.
Gas a mlter Of fact got away on
the night of July and, instead Of slid
igg down a towel rope l walked cut Of
the front door and past the guards. who
had no idea l was an escaping patient,
but thought was an aged negress who
frt quently visited some Of the servants
at the place.
'In order to csrry out the impression
thst | had gone by way OF the window,
Miss Pinktton scs tired some of my
clothes near the window aud tore pieces
off feather that was In the hat | hid
worn to the asylum and sprinkled them
on the ground outside. The hst itself
she burned.
"On the last day Of August, 1907,
let ST. Louis, where had been visiting
my sons, Locke and Wilbur, went to
Hopkins, q suburb of Minneapolis,
where my husband ard his brother
Homer had an Office. No one met me
at the station and when | found my hus-
hand he informed me there WAS no place
for me there. Ny bro hi in-lsw for
bsde me to enter the Office again aud r.
fused to have my trunk brought up from
the station.
al remained in Hopkins IL days
Then my son Locke wrote to his father
IF mamma can't stay there, send hei
back here.' NV husband ordered mt
back to ST. Louis at once. He bougl
ticket and put me on the train. His
last words we're: God bless and pre-
serve you =
"At St. Louis my sons met me. They
suggested that We 90 for a drive. won
dered at their extrsvsgaDce, but go
into the csrriage with them. There wat
srInge-loOking man on the box witt
the driver. | asked who be was and VA
told he wss friend of the driver. W.
drove at once to the police station.
asked what we we're stopping there fo
and Locke replied:
we are going TO have your SAINT!
inquired into
az gasped, and in a low voice-ior
saw al once the danger Of any show o
excitement or emotion-exclaimed:
My children, NY children, have
brought you into the world for this
"In the meantime men came out o
the station, talking in low tones, and
slipped out Of the carriage, end walke'
quickly toward Olive street, hoping +
get on a street car and escape. But be
fore l could 60 fer l was seized by
man who had sst on the seat with tn
driver aud was thrust violently back in
to the csrrisge. My children bad ex
posed me to this f'igbt'ul humiliation
III put my head out of the windoV
hoping for rescue. | cried ouI; 'HelE
Help They are trying to make me il
sane. am notI / shouted my name
No help came. 1t was the only time
ali my bitter experience that | gave wa
to momentsry Impulse to cry for hell
for knew the grave danger that lay
any show of excitement.
cat the police station some paper
were made out after q few random que
tions by young physician, in which |