Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-24
Menace of Insane Criminals at
st. Elizabeth. :,
PLOT AGAINST KEEPERS
Outbreak at Government Hospital
Planned for Tonight.
REVEALED BY LOYAL INMATE
Matter Will Be Brought to the At
tention Of Secretary Fisher on
His Return to the City.

Secretary Fisher OF the Interior De-
partment IL at Hanover. Ind. attend
ing the burial services OF his mother.
Upon his return to this city Monday he
will be informed of the plot to escape
Of a number of criminal insane at thu
Government Hospital for the Insane
which was nipped in the bud yester-
day afternoon by DIR. William y
White. superintendent. and other on.
Gals. 1t is understood that the Secre.
tary will be urged by the hospita All.
thorities to have more guards placed In
the section where the criminal insane
are confined.
Assistant Secretary Thompson. who
has immediate charge OF matters af-
fecting the asylum. said today that he
would not discuss the matter. but that
Secretary Fisher would in all prob.
ability be fully Informed Of IT on his
return to this city.
Five convicted murderers are locked
in separate cells at the asylum as
result Of the plot. and Charles S.
Fletcher. colored. another murderer.
has been sent to the District jail for
safe keeping.
Outbreak Planned for Tonight.
The plot was revealed to the hospital
authorities by an inmate said to be Ar
thur Barnes. Equipped with a heavy
steel saw, with which they intended to
cut their way through the iron-barred
doors, and with other implements with
which the guards were to be at aciSed.
the six men carefully laid their plans.
Their desperate attempt to gain free
dom was to be made tonight. A p ay had
l. l..
Hall. The pic tiers had figured that many
OF the guards of Howard Hall, Were they
are confined, would be detailed TO attend
the performance.
There are over one hundred of The GRIM
inal insane in the building. With the de-
tail sent to Hitchcock Hall II was calcu-
lated that but nine men would be left IN
charge of tie building.
The plans for the attempt to escape had
been developing during several weeks. 1t
is believed the getaway Of William Hud-
die, Joseph Andsley and Thomas Winters
from the same building last week spurred
the other men on to spring their plot to-
night.
Revealed by Loyal Inmate.
The ringleaders Of the plot did not
suspect that one of their number
would reveal their plans to the hos
pital authorities. But Barnes. who
listened to their deliberations, yestcr-
day informed the hospital authorities.
AS soon as DR.. William A. White, SUI
perintendent of the hospital. heard OF
the plot, he directed the guards Ia
make an investigation. This disclosed
the saw with which the bars were to
have been cut. secreted in one OF tho
cells. and weapons with which thu
guards would probably have been as
saulted were also located. The ring
leaders were spotted and locked Up
under the eye Of special guards. while
Fletcher was sent to the Jail.
Fletcher was convicted in this city in
July, 1907, Of murder. But before Inc
was sentenced he was adjudged insane by
jury and committed TO the Government
Hospital for the Insane. He has since
been confined there. DR.. White recently
reported that Fletcher had regained his
mental balance, and IL will soon be de-
cided by the court whether OF not the
death penalty will be imposed upon him.
The play to be given in Hitchcock Hall
tonight will take place as arranged, but
a strict watch will be kept on the in.
mates of Howard Hall.