Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-29
ETHEL MITCHELL
BREAKS OUT OF
DETENTION HOME
WITH ANOTHER GIRL ESCAPES
FROM CUSTODY
JOINED ON OUTSIDE BY TWO
YOUNG MEN
Sister of Slayer of Cecil Thayer
EIudes Vigilance of Single
Guard and Cannot Be
Recaptured

| CHIPPING stealthily along the cor
IN ridor, through an open window,
~ over a skylight, through another
window and down fight of stairs to
the two youths, who were waiting for
them, Ethel Mitchell. sister of William
Mitchell, who recently was acquitted
Of the murder of Cecil Thayer, and
Lola Murray, said by the probation
officers to be the worst incorrigible
ever taken into custody, eluded the
single guard at the detention home
Tuesday night and made their es-
cape. So far the officers have found
no trace of them and they are still at
| liberty.
| The lads, who are alleged to have
assisted In the escape of the girls and
who are said to have sent notes to
the fugitives, were not so fortunate,
and were arrested at 2:30 O'Clock yes
terday morning by Patrolman Hickey,
who placed them in the city jail on d
charge of suspicion. The youths gave
their names as Cieve Miller, 20 years
old, and Philip Rastetter. % years old,
and work at the Llewellyn Iron
works.
The probation officers say they have
| in their possession letters from the
youths TO the girls that incriminate
them III FdSSlSlluB lilb 6lliS ~ CoCdpC
| from the county Institution and If the
necessary evidence can be obtained
the young men will be charged with
contributing to the delinquency of the
wards of the Juvenile court, for which
the maximum penalty is two years in
states prison.
Notes Exchanged
Although the matron AMI others at
the detention home refused to discuss
the case or even admit that the girls
had escaped, it is understood that the
youag girls eluded the single guard,
rIade their way down the flight of
stairs to the entrance and reached
the outside without their absence
being discovered until late yesterday
morning.
The Mitchell girl, whose association
with Cecil Thayer resulted in her be-
ing sent to the Door of Hope, and to
the subsequent killing of Thayer by
the brother of the girl, and the Muir
ray girl became great friends when
the Mitchell girl was sent to the de-
tentlon home, following her escape
from the Home of the Good Shepherd
and her arrest at San Pedro several
days later.
For some time, II is alleged, the
girls have been communicating with
Miller and Rastetter. BY the lax sys-
TEN prevailing at the detention home
the girls, by entering another room
looking on the street, have been en-
abled to exchange notes with the
young men.
Tuesday night, after all plans had
been perfected, the girls, whose win
dow looks out on a skylight to one
story building, eluded the single night
Waterman, climbed out on the roof,
walked along the skylight for several
feet, opened another window at the
head of the stairs and while the coast
was clear emerged and walked swiftly
down the stairs, unlocked the front
door and ran away from the place.
Youths Arrested
The quartet, as is supposed, went
to q rooming house a short distance
away and registered. They remained
until midnight, when the lads, it is
said, fearing discovery, left them and
went away.
In the meantime the matter had
been reported to the police and the
description of the two lads given. Pa
trolman Hickey, while passing a small
park near the detention home, discov-
cred the lads sitting on bench In
the park. He placed them under ar
rest and took them to the city Jail.
The accused refused to make a state
girls. Later several officers, among
them a probation officer, questioned
the boys, but were unable to elicit
any information that would lead to
the location of the girls, who, so far,
are still at liberty.
The escape of the girls is said by
Juvenile officers to add emphasis to
the fact that there should be better
place OF confinement for delinquents.
According to one of the probation Of
ficers. the present detention home is
at a two-story building. The ground
floor is used as a restaurant and the
second floor as a dormitory for the
boys and girls.
During the daytime the lads attend
a school, while the girls with nothing
to do sit around and talk among
themselves.
Every effort is being made to locate
and arrest the girls, but so far the
police have been unable to get trace
of them.