New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-23
WOMEN PLAN ESCAPE
FROM NEWARK JAIL
Five Prisoners Ready to Depart
When MatrOn Makes
Discovery.
AUTOMOBILE WAS WAITING
Bedclothes Rope Fashioned
and Window Bar Removed
in Preparation for
the Delivery.

Five women prisoners i'm the Essex
County iail, the eldest OF whom was
twenty-five years old, had planned to got
away from the Jail Saturday night. but
they were toilcd by the watchfulness Of
Mrs. Mary MacGUnness. the matron.
rope made from bedclothing had
been prepared; the screen had beer cut
from on, of the windows and a bar pried
oN and it Is also said there was an auto
mobile waiting to get the women away
from tho Jail when they left the building
Three Of the prisoners. it is said. con-
Tossed their part in the plot. They said
that the getaway had been planned by
scventeen-year- Bessie Main, of
ORANGE This is the same young woman
who two months ago escaped from tho
orange Memorial Hospital 10y a beO-
clothes rope.
The others We're Mrs. Helen Waller
twenty-five years old, who had been SEN
fenced to serve year for bigamy; Mrs.
Rose Mauer. twenty-one in iail for a
statutory offence: Mrs. Marie Nelson.
eighteen. a witness in an auto theft cas-,
and Miss Ncllie Schutta, eighteen. wit
ness in a murder case.
Mrs. Mauer, Mrs. Nelson and Miss
Schutta were confined in the witness
loom. the other two having been placed in
cells Last night Mrs. Waller received
permission. on q pretence Of feeling i'll, TO
take hot bath She was allowed out Of
her cell and went TO the bathroom. 1t
was at this time that Miss Main, accord
ing 10 the Jail officials also got out Of her
cell. She had rugged up a dummy with
some clothes and this she had placed In
her own bed.
Mrs MacGuinncss decided to make an
inspection Of the cells. She looked into
Miss Mahn's cell and saw Miss Mahn
living on her cot She called TO her, but
there vas no response. She listened and
then became suspicious as there was no
snoring noises coming from the cot. she
went into the cell and shook Miss MAIN
IN ascertain II she was i'll or worse. Then
she discovered the dummy" She real
lied at once that something was wrong
and rushed into the witness room. There
she found Miss Mahn hiding behind the
other prisoners. The rope of bedclotheS
was then found Mrs. MacGuinness locked
the bathroom 10 prevent Mrs. Waller from
leaving. and then she hustled the other
four women into a cell and locked it,
Inspecting the witness room. Mrs. Mac
Guinness found that the wire netting on
one Of the windows had been cut away
from the bottom and one of the sides. and
that one Of the bars on the outside Of
the window had been pried open fa'
enough 70 admit Of the passage OF goot
sized person.
II was recalled that an automobile hac
hccn seen frequently about the Jail and
this is believed 10 have been on hand for
the purpose Of getting the five prisoners
away
Mrs. Waller was questioned, but she
pretended 10 know nothing of the at
tempted jail delivery. The others stuck
20 the story that they. too. were ignorant
Of any attempt TO get away from the
place. The Jail authorities say that three
Of the women admitted that there was d
scheme on foot to get away from tho
building They give Miss Main credit tol
planning the getaway but this tf
Young woman absolutely denies. she
saws she knows nothing of the bedcloth
ing rope. but she cannot account Tor par
OF her bedclothing being missing.
Recently FIVE men got away from ire
Jail. and all but one have since Dcef
captured and brought back.