The Washington herald., 1908-04-27

a rigid investigation Of the escape of
Lewis Gourdain, the Chicago lottery
king from the Government Asylum for
the Insane. conducted by officials OF the
institution. has tended TO deepen the mys-
terry.
It has developed that the escape was
made By the use of duplicate keys. This.
coupled with the theory Of outside assist
anee, in which figures a heavily veiled
woman who visited the prisoner the day
before his escape, makes the officials be-
lieve the escape was a deep-laid plot
every detail carefully gone over before
it was put into execution.
The veiled woman visited Gourdain the
day before his escape. She talked with
him for some time in low tones. and be
fore leaving gave him some cakes. It Is
believed that in one Of these cakes was
concealed the key with which the doors
between the prisoner and liberty were
unlocked Money is also believed 20 have
been given Gourdain in this way.
Companion Deserter.
Marion N. Parker. the man who es-
capped with Gourdain. was a United States
prisoner having been sent to the institu-
ton some months ago. He was charged
with desertion from the army. and had
only a few more months TO serve.
The two men had cells opposite each
other in ward ;. on the second floor of
Howard Hall It is here that all criminal
patients are kept. A guard makes an
inspection Of the rooms every hour.
At i o'clock Tuesday morning Watch
man Hodges visited the rooms and found
everything in proper order. When he
went over his beat again at o'clock he
found the doors TO both Gourdain's and
Parker's rooms closed and locked.
Neither man, however, was in his room.
An alarm was quickly sounded and
search made. All the doors on the floor
We're locked. and to all outward appear
ances the men must have vanished
through the chinks in the windows. A
search Of the basement, conducted the
next day, showed how the men had
broken open window with a pick. and
escaped from the building.
All Doors Unlocked.
Evidently all doors, except one be-
tween the men and freedom, had been un-
locked with a key. The doors TO their
cells or rooms wers unlocked and then
carefully locked again, d time when the
guard was absent being chosen. A door
leading from the corridor TO the steps
was next unlocked. and again carefully
locked, At the foot Of the steps. a door
leading into the quadrangle formed by
the various buildings was also unlocked
and then again secured.
Having gained access 10 the courtyard, /
or quadrangle. the two men then again |
broke into the basement of the building, /
intending to open the door leading to the /
outside. They found that their keys
would not mt the locks leading into any of |
the rooms on the outside Of the building. |
however. and attempted to cut the lock /
from the door. In this they were un-
successful
Tracks Are Discovered.
The attendants. when they learned of
the escape, found tracks leading away
from the building in the direction Of the
ferry at Shepherds Point LENDING The
tracks were followed around through the
steel works, and were lost in some woods
A watch was set on the ferry. and the
men were not seen TO cross the river.
Rivermen said they had not crossed dur
ing the hour preceding the search,
1t has finally been concluded that the
men. with cunning beyond that of a sane
person. doubled on their tracks while in
the woods, and passing their guards. re-
turned in the direction of the city.
An official Of the institution said last
night that he believed without a doubt
the men had planned the escape some
time before, apd had received aid from
the outside. He said Gourdain was un-
insane. but that his mind took
an uncommon turn. he being much more
crafty and willy than the ordinary man.
Woman's Hand Evident.
The woman who visited Gourdain.
said the official, evidently had a hand in
Lhe escape. Every effort is being made
10 locate her.
The officials do not believe Gourdain went
o the Riggs House to write the letter he
nailed to the New York editor. They
believe the paper was smuggled ia to him
'y the woman at the same time the key
vas given him.
Another official said It would be much
n line with Gourdain's cunning and bold
less to so into the heart Of the city and
n leisurely fashion write the letter at
rIbuted % him.