The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-13
POSSE OF CITIZENS
TAKES Up THE HUNT
Hundreds of People Follow Hatless
and Coatless Fugitive Through
Woods in Heavy Rainstorm Yes
terday-His Capture Is Expected
Today.

Dan Ryan, captured by the Gary po-
lice on a charge of arson, who was
yesterday bound over to the superior
court on this charge, broke jail a half
hour after the decision had been rend-
cred and is now at liberty A hun
dred citizens of Toleston, taking up
the chase with the police, secured the
woods southwest of Toleston all
through the drenching rain and thun-
derstorm yesterday afternoon in an eff
fort to locate the fugitive from jus
tice. At one time the party was but a
few hundred feet behind the frebug,
but the latter succeeded in escaping
because of the dense woods and thick
underbrush in that vicinity.
Escapes from Jail.
The delivery from the Jail was made
by the breaking of a rusty lock on
the Jail door, after Marshal Frank Mar
tin had left him to go to dinner Mar
tin says that he did not think it pos
sible for the man to escape, but had
secured several of the neighbors in the
vicinity to watch the Jail during his
absence. Several of these saw the man
leave and at once gave chase but Ryan
was too fast for them. and once under
cover of the woods, made good his es-
cape.
Gary Police Notified.
The Gary police were notified at
once and headed by Chief Joseph Mar
tin, the brother of the Toleston mar
shall, assisted in the man hunt. The
downpour which had just started help |
ed them in tracking Ryan for a con-
siderable distance through the sand, but |
as soon as Ryan found that he was |
being closely followed, took care to |
cover up his track and made good his /
escape. The man is coatless and hat
less, and as the police of the surround
ing cities have been notified, it is
thought that he will be landed within
twenty -four hours.
Trial Yesterday Morning.
Yesterday morning the preliminary
hearing had come up before Judge
Townsley, and sufficient evidence that
he had set fire to the clubhouse of Hen
~ Stanley was introduced to bind him
over to the superior court. Realizing
that he was bad character, arrange
ments had been made by Marshal aMr-
tin to take him to the county jail i'm
mediately after dinner An automobile
from the GaryToleston Garage com
pany was preparing to leave when the
word was received that the bird had
flown.
Made Several Attempts.
Ryan first gave evidence of being a /
bad character when he was being taken Il
from Gary to Toleston He made sew
eral desperate breaks to get away
from the officers and it required three
of them to hold him until he could be
shackled hand and foot Before they
had shackled his feet, however. he made
several vicious kicks at the officers
head while in the machine, and they
found it necessary to render him help
less with various devices of steel The
man had just been released from the
county jail few days ago, where he
had served as drunk
Is Liquor Fiend
Ryan is known to the police as a
liquor fend and usually carries bot
tie OF pure alcohol on his person The
theory prevalent, therefore. is that
while in a state of intoxication he has
been responsible for several of the dis
astrous fires that have occurred in the
south end of Gary The drink habit !
may also lead to his arrest. as il i
now physical impossibility for the ,
man to go many hours without liquor. :
The police believe that he can be pick :
ed up in some saloon in the region !
without difficulty j.,
Little KnOwn of Ryan's Past. /
Little is known of Ryan's past aside 9
from the fact that he has been en- l
ployed here for several weeks with a 6
contracting firm He has been a CON {
tinual source of trouble for the police
largely through his drunkenness. He
IS known to have several aliases. and T
IS reported to have bad record. The S
story he told the police upon captnra '
was that he had set fire to the STANLEY /
building through smoking a cigarette t
and that man who was with him-he a
refuses to divulge the name-had sense r
enough to make a getaway and he
didn't, although ne thought he might
be suspected.
A Soporific. a
Miss Gusher (who has lust been In n
troduced to the great author)-Oh. Mr. e
Lyon, | am so enchanted with your S
dear, delightful novels. l fall asleen S
with one in my hand, every night .