The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1909-06-10

that weighed heavily against Phipps
chances Of escaping death on the gal.
lows. In the first place his iail.break.
ing exploit in company with Bucky
Greenfield was against him. Green.
field got away safely to Mexico, and
as there was no eXtradition treaty be
tween Canada and the former country
at that time covering his offense, he
was never brought back. Doubtless
Greenfield meant well by his cell-mate
when he planned their escape, but ii
would have been far better for Phipps
had he not broken Jail Then there
was the episode of Billy Callaghan in
Sandwich jail which had much to do
with influencing public opinion in the
County of Essex at the time Of the
Phipps trial
Callaghan belonged to Detroit. He
came Of respectable family, and in
his younger days was dry goods
clerk, but became a professional burg.
lar and desperate crook He and
burglar named Kennedy were being
held in Sandwich Jail and on March
16 they made a dash for liberty.
George O'Callghan Leech. the old
governor of the jail, tried to intercept
the escaping prisoners, and Billy Cal.
laghan drew a revolver which had
been smuggled into his cell, shot and
killed the governor and escaped with
Kennedy. Callaghan got safely away
out Of the country but Kennedy was
caught and sent to Kingston peniten.
uary for seven years.
While there Kennedy became pals
with another convict named Blinky
Morgan who was serving five years
for manslaughter. Shortly after be-
coming acquainted the pair broke out
of Kingston penitentiary. Morgan was
traced to Reno, Ohio, by a detective
named Hoolihan and in the fight that
occurred when they met the officer
was killed. Morgan escaped after
Staying Hoolihan but was run down
in Alpena. Mich. where he shot the
sheriff and wounded another man. He
was captured, taken to Cleveland and
hanged Kennedy got away.
In the meantime Callaghan, after
killing Gov. Leech of Sandwich Jail,
had disappeared completely. Murray
sent out circulars offering a reward
for his arrest and finally received a
telegram from the police of Hannibal.
Mo. which read:
Come at once. Callaghan in Jail.
acknowledges identity"
Murray wired back: "Will come. but
do not believe it is Callaghan He
would not acknowledge identity"
He prepared the necessary eXtradi.
tion papers and went TO Hannibal, TAX
ing with him Turnkey Smith OF Sand.
wich Jail, who knew Callaghan well.
Arriving at their destination they were
! informed by the police that two
crooks, known as Joe Rice and John
! Carr had burglarized Banker Patter.
sons house in Barry, H., making him
get out of bed, open up his safe and
turn over the contents, besides taking
his gold-mounted revolver. They had
! been caught in Hannibal and Rice had
! the stolen revolver. On the way TO
the jail Rice whispered with Carr, and
in the Jail he had said to a fellow
! prisoner:
Il wonder If these cops know who
/ | am? They offer a reward for me in
Canada" The prisoner reported the
conversation, Rice was questioned and
confessed he was Bill Callaghan Then
Murray was sent for.
The detective was shown to the
cell occupied by the supposed Callag-
han. 1t was a gloomy hole but even
! in the semi-darkness a single glance
/ at the inmate convinced Murray that
he was not the murderer OF the Sand.
wich Jail governor Turnkey Smith
also shared his opinion. The prisoner
was ordered 10 step into better light
and Murray looked at him closely.
NO" said the detective, he is not
Callaghan. This is Jim Leavitt OF
New York. Jim, have seen you a,
Billy Browns in Bleecker street, and
at The Aliens"
The prisoner laughed, and admitted
that Murray's statement was correct
Murray returned TO Toronto withou,
Callaghan whom he next heard of in
Mexico. 1t was later reported that
Callaghan was drowned in South
America, but however that may have
been, he was never captured.
Between Greenfield and Callaghar
the fate Of Luke Phipps was sealed
The murder Of Gov o'Callaghan Leech
enraged the people of Essex county
and when Phipps, who had escaped
from the same jail. came up for tria
some months after the Leech killing
public opinion was against him. He
was found guilty OF murder. hanged in
Sandwich Jail in November, 1854. and
buried near the grave where he had
once sought refuge and lay hidder
from the eyes OF his hunters for the
space of a night and day.
,Copytlght 1909 by ". c. Chapman)