The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-07-25
ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE
FRUSTRATED
Members of the Four Hundred
Defy the Law.


James Wilson, artist and clubman
on Ninety-fifth street, reported
this morning a daring attempt al
escape, made at 3 a. m. 1t is in
this house that some eight or nine
members of the smart set Were
imprisoned during the course OF
a dinner party, when the japanese
butler developed smallpox. The
party shut in the house includes
Miss Katherine McNair, the
daughter of Theodore McNair, OF
the Inter-Ocean system; Mr.. and
Mrs. Dallas Brown, the Misses
Mercer, Maxwell Reed, the we'll
known clubman and whip, and a
Mr.. Thomas HARRISON, guest OF
the Dallas Browns and a South
American.
"'Officer CcCloud's story, told
to Chronicle reporter this morn
ing, is as follows: The occupants
of the house had been uneasy all
day. From the air of subdued
hustle, and from a careful in
spection of the roof, made by the
entire party during the afternoon
his suspicion had been aroused
Nothing unusual, however, oc'
Cured during the early part OF
the night. From eight o'clock tC
twelve McCloud was relieved from
duty, his place being taken by
Michael Shane, of the Eighty-sixth
Street Station.
When McCloud came on
duty at midnight, Shane reported
that about eleven o'clock the
searchlight of a steamer on the
river, flashing over the house,
had shown man crouching on
the parapet, evidently surveying
the roof across, which at this
point is only twelve feet dis
tant, with view of making his
escape. On seeing Shane below,
however, he had beat a retreat,
but not before the officer had
seen him distinctly. He was
dressed in evening clothes and
wore light tan overcoat.
"'Officer McCloud relieved
Shane at midnight, and sent for
a plain-clothes man from the sta
tionhouse. This man was sta
toned on the roof of the Bey-
ington residence next door, with
strict injunctions to prevent an
escape from the quarantined
mansion. Nothing suspicious hay-
ing occurred, the man on the roof
left about 3 a. M, reporting to
McCloud below that everything
was quiet. At that moment,
glancing skyward, one of the Of
ficers was astounded to see a
long narrow board project itself
from the coping of the Wilson
house, waver uncertainty for a
moment, and then advance
stealthily toward the parapet
across. When it was within a
foot or two of a resting place, Nc
Cloud called sharply to the invisi-
BILE refugee above, at the same
time firing his revolver in the
ground.
The result was surprising
The board stopped, trembled,
swayed a little, and dropped,
missing the vigilant officers by a
hairs breath, and crashing to
the cement with terrific force.
An inspiration of the roof from
the bevington house, later, re-
vealed nothing unusual. 1t is
evident, however. that the quar-
antine is proving irksome to the
Inhabitants of the sequestered
residence, most of whom are typ
zeal society folk, without resources
in themselves. Their condition,
without Wallets and maids, is GER
tainly pitiable. 1t has been ru-
mored that the ladies are doing
their own hair, and that the gen.
tlemen have been reduced to put
ting their own buttons in their
shirts. This deplorable situation,
however, is unavoidable.
The vigilance of the board of
health has been most commend
able in this case. Beginning with
a wager over the telephone that
they would break quarantine in
twenty-four hours, and ending
with the attempt to span a
twelve-fot gulf with a board, oyer
which to cross to freedom, these
shut-in society folk have shown
characteristic disregard of the
laws of the state. 1t is quite
time to extend to the millionaire
the same strictness that keeps the
commuter at home for three
weeks with the measles; that
makes him get the milk bottles
and groceries from the gate-post
and smell like dog-soap for a
month afterward, as a result of
disinfection.'
We sat in dead silence for
minute. Then:
Perhaps it is true" said.
'Not OF you, Jim-but someone
may have tried to get out that
way. In fact, 1 think it ex-
tremely likely"
Who? Flanagan? You
couldn't drive him out. He's hav-
ing the time of his life. Do you
suspect me?"
"Come away and don't fight"
Anne broke in pacifically. you
will have to have luncheon sent
In, Jimmy, nobody has ordered
anything from the shops, and
feel like old Mother Hubbard"