The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-03-02
RELATIVES LOST
LIVES IN FIRE
Former Attorney Takes to Drink and
Is Now Accused of Membership in
Brass Stealing Gang-Breaks Out
of the Miller Jail Last Night and
Escapes.
Especial to TIE T1ama)


Miller, Ind, March 2.-Once a we'll
known Chicago attorney. enjoying
practioe worth thousands OF dollars
year-now under arrest at Miller on a
charge of grand larceny and wanted
at Chesterton under a similar charge.
Such Is the history of one Harry Phil
lips. well-known in Gary where he was
at one time employed as night clerk
janitor for the Gary hotel. Phillips
was arrested at Miller yesterday by
Marshal Klopf who held q warrant
charging the ex-attorney with the theft
of several hundred pounds off railroad
brass, which it is alleged Phillips has
been disposing of for several weeks.
The stolen property is said to belong
to the J. J. Lynch Construction com
pany-
ONCE PROSPEROUS.
Phillips was a Chicago attorney for
almost twenty years and until a few
years ago maintained luxurious office
apartments in Dearborn street build
ing Members of his family lost their
lives in the Iroquois theater fire, and
Phillips started drinking heavily short
~ after that terrible catastrophe.
Business 1reverses added to his misfor-
tunes and a small fortune was wiped
away in several bad investments Phil
lips came to Gary while the town was
young and thought to earn enough
money at the Gary hotel with which
to gain admittance to the Indiana bar
and open a law office in this city He
failed to do this, however and for the
past year has been more or less Of a
wanderer.
WANTED ON SERIOUS CHARGE.
The Chesterton charge is even more
serious than that under which Phil
lips is confined In the Miller lookup.
He is wanted in that city on charge
OF stealing two carloads of coal from
the Lake Shore railroad. Strange as it
may seem, Phillips devised a scheme
whereby he secured possession of way
and freight bills covering the two cars
of fuel and had them reconsigned to
himself at Gary. Once in this city the
coal was shown to two Gary coal men.
John McFadden of the Gary Coal com
pany. and ]. J. Farrell both of whom,
believing the coal to be the property
OF Phillips, who advanced a plausible
story. agreed to purchase the fuel 1t
is not known as yet how Phillips Sc
cured the freight receipts and waybills
covering the shipments
HAS SON IN CHICAGO.
Whether Phillips, If captured. will be
turned over to the Miller or Chester
ton justices for preliminary examina-
tion is still matter Of conjecture. and
an investigation will probably be made
today TO ascertain which county has
the strongest case against the former
Chicago lawyer. Phillips is about so
years OF age. and, it is understood. has
a son living somewhere in Chicago
Phillips stayed in Gary about six
months, most OF which time he worked
as night clerk in the Gary hotel. He
was known to be a habitual drunkard
and for this reason was discharged He
then worked about the Office and barns
of the Gary supply company until a
few weeks ago. when he left the city.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT.
Philips was caught in the act Of TAX
ing the brass and tools from the con-
struction camp of the Lynch company,
who are engaged in grading for the
Chicago. Lake Shore and South Bend
railroad He was taken to the police
station. booked on a charge of grand
larceny and locked in a cell Marshal
Edward Klopf of that city who ef-
fected the capture. then retired for the
night
Some time during the night the the
ory is that several of Phillips COM
panions swooped down upon the jail
fled off the lock and then the bars in
the cell Phillips Will be remembered
better, probably because of a little dog
he called Nellie" which often guarded
his prostrate body as he lay in gut
ter or alley saturated with liquor
Phillips came to Gary from Hobart
where he Is said to have practiced law
for number of years.
Marshal Edward Klopf organized q
posse this morning of about fifteen
men and they viii scour the woods in
an attempt to locate Phillips, as it is
believed that he can be found in a
cave or hut or some place OF conceal
ment with his companions near Miller.