New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-09
TOMBS PRISONER GONE
Generally Agreed That Wilson
Scaled High Wall.
ALL-DAY SEARCH FOR HIM
Day and Night Keepers to Elk
plain to Commissioner
of Corrections.

George Wilson seems to have success
fuIIv eqcaneo from the Tombs on Sunday
night The force of keepers, policemen
and detectives has about given up nope Oh
finding the man crouching in some remote
and dark corner of the big prison gen
eral alarm and a copy of his photograph
have been sent all over the country by the
Police Department
At some time between $50 and b
o'clock on Sunday evening Wilson and
lot of other prisoners were taken out IN
the prison ward to get some exercise.
After they had been trotted about bit
they were herded together and marched
back to their cells. Wilson appears 10
have remained with the squad Of prisoners
until they reached the cells. Then he dis
appeared. That act was wholly uncus-
tomary and unlocked for by the guards
II is uncertain how Wilson managed 10
get away from that point.
In the back Of the cell is a space where
are set up various sanitary appliances.
In the rear OF that, outside and back or
the cells, are the drain pipes, running
down through the engine room If some-
thing should happen to one Of those pipes
they might he reached through a small
aperture like q window Wilson wanted
10 reach the pipes and so wriggled
through the little window, it would seem.
1t is not quite certain at what floor or
tier he crawled through the window, but
anyway, all the way down are the dis
tinct marks left by his hands.
From the engine room he reached the
coal cellars. and there found a handy
wi 10 Clirnbed
Above mis- head he is supposed to have felt
with his hands and encountered an open
ing-a coal hole He picked out and saw
william J.. Hoolihan, a keeper. That was
said to have been at about $50 o'clock
that night. But before that. It was said
at the prison yesterday. Night Warden
Jones found out that there were only 68
prisoners instead Of 6SS in their cells and
sounded an alarm.
Anyway. Hoolihan was suddenly hit on
the head with n cold Chisel, and a struggle
ensued The prisoner snatched one OF the
keepers revolvers and fired a him. Then
he dropped back into the coal hole. A
little later-a very few moments later-he
again climbed out of his hiding place and
sought the yard Being a clever second
story man of long experience. he struS-
Gled his way up the fifteen-foot wall TO
it's summit. The alarm hadn't had time
to spread very far. and the prisoner man
aged to fire one more shot at the keeper.
Then he Jumped to safety and was away.
Mr. Wright. Deputy Commissioner Of
Corrections. said Edward Crudden. a
keeper. who works in the daytime, and
Francis Kelley. a night keeper were sus-
pended Yesterday afternoon and would be
brought up for trial before Commissioner
Whitney this morning Hoolihan has been
asked 10 appear also Deputy Wright in
timated that there were not enough keep
ers on the Job at night The day keeper
should have known that Wilson was not
in his cell at o'clock. and the night
keeper ought 10 have seen that the pris-
Oner was not in his cell later Sheriff
Julius hamburger and two deputies offered
their services in the afternoon. but were
told that things were running along nicely
4 small boy told lot OF people that
strange and excited man had snatched the
lads hat from his head just outside the
Tombs and had thrust a dollar in the
bOys hand