Willmar tribune., 1909-03-03

bESEAG.M sisted OF MS Vile and TWO
E51RssassE:A children, a boy and girl
ezsss2l siszs' Mrs Phipps was a pretty
little woman, apparently
very fond Of her husband.
But fate decreed that the serpent of
jealousy should creep into this Eden
Of domestic bliss. Mrs. Phipps, with
out the knowledge of her husband, had
been in the habit of making secret
trips across the river to Windsor, and
1t CHANGED that Luke Phipps received
information of this fact. Passionately
devoted to his wife, this discovery fill.
ed him with madness. He watched
her carefully and shadowed her move
ments. One fateful night she left her
home and boarded the ferry boat for
Windsor. Close on her heels followed
the infuriated husband, armed, and
under the influence of strong liquor
in which he had been indulging freely
since he had been informed of his
wife's supposed unfaithfulness.
Not until the boat was we'll out in
the river and approaching the Can
madam shore did Phipps reveal him.
self to the woman. Angry words
passed between them, the husband
hccusing the wife of infldelity. Mrs
Phipps replied harshly and the words
had scarcely left her lips when the
man drew a revolver and fired point
blank at her. The bullet sped true
to the mark and Mrs. Phipps fell to the
deck dead. The murder was witnessed
by score of passengers and Phipps
was Instantly seized. He made no
resistance but meekly gave up the
weapon with which the deed was com.
mttted, and when the boat landed at
Windsor was taken in charge by the
Canadian authorities. He was taken
at once to Sandwich Jail, three miles
from Windsor, and committed for trial.
At that time Sandwich Jail was
looked upon by the habitues of the
underworld as sort of resting place
on the road to Kingston penitentiary,
where the long term criminals of the
province of Ontario were confined. For
crook to reach the precincts of Sand
wich jail usually meant that he was
destined to wind up in the much
dreaded pententiary. There were
pleasanter places to reside in than the
famous Kingston bastile, truth so
we'll recognized by law-breakers in the
early eighties that there were many
attempts made by the Sandwich pris-
cners to break Jail.
Into this ill-omened place of con-
finement came Phipps sobered by the
realization of the awful tragedy OF
which he had been the author. The
future looked black indeed, for Cana.
dian justice frowns grimly upon the
destroyer of human life no matter
what her or his provocation may have
been, and the gloomy shadow of the
gallows loomed threateningly before
him. Among the inmates of Sandwich
jail was one "Bucky" Greenfield. a
professional thief, who like Phipps
was awaiting trial, but on far less
serious charge. To this man Phipps
was assigned as cell-mate; and glad
to find someone in whom he could con
fide, the wife-slayer told him the story
OF his crime and the circumstances
which had prompted it.
Greenfield sympathized with the
newcomer whom he had taken strong
fancy to at first sight. He agreed
that matters were likely to go hard
with Phipps, in the event of his being
brought to trial, and told him that
' his only chance of escaping the gal
lows was to break out of Sandwich
jail and fly to the United States. The
astute Mr.. Greenfield further confided
to his cell-mate that he was making
arrangements to leave their presen,
abode by stealth, and proceeded to de
scribe the part which he intended
Phipps to play in their mutual deliv
erance from durance vile.
AS result of this conference a mys
terious female shortly afterwards pait
visit to Greenfield and for ten dayi
following her call Bucky kept close II
his cell. During this interval Luke
Phipps became seized with a mania
for music. He whistled and sang con
tinually in loud voice for hours at {
time. None of the warders Offered
any objection. Life in Sandwich jai
was a monotonous existence at tht
best, and if a prisoner found comfor
in the sound II his own voice they
saw no particular reason for silencinf
him.
The truth of the matter was thai
Phipps had resorted to the perform
ance OF these nocturnal concerts fol
the purpose of sitting the sounds o.
Greenfield's labors in the cell. Fol
Bucky was busily engaged and work
Ing away with industry worthy Of .
better cause. From woman's corse
steel he had succeeded in constructing
a crude but serviceable file, and will
this instrument was saving vigorousl!