Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-15
TO ARREST AIDE Of
HUDSON PRISONERS
Leader of Quartet Which
Planned to Kill Guard and
Escape Confesses.

JERSEY CITY, Oct. 15.-The New
York police today expect to arrest a
Well-known crook in that city for
completely In planning an escape of
four prisoners from the Hudson
county jail here, which was frustrated
through information furnished by a
"trusty." They have a warrant for
his arrest.
This New York man was "the man
on the outside" in the proposed es-
cape. He furnished the saws with
which the prisoners cut through their
cell windows, the revolver with which
one OF them was to kill the guard and
was to have provided the automobile
in which they planned to escape when
once outside the prison.
The four prisoners are Ernest Will
haber and Dominick de Lappe, New
York gunner, who are awaiting trial
on charge Of shooting Thomas Con-
roy. labor leader, on January 81
last, and Ralph Pearce and George
Lapp, jr.. who have been sentenced to
serve from three to seven years in
the penitentiary for stealing automo-
biles.
Planned 10 Murder Guard.
The plot to murder the guard and
break jail first became known when
"trusty' approached Warden Patrick
Sullivan Monday night and told him
the four prisoners were prepared to
quit the Jail early the next morning
Sullivan called half a dozen guards
and began search of the Jail. On
the third tier, where the four prison.
ers named are confined, he found the
bars of window cut, as had been
described In a box on this corridor
the warden found FIVE small saws,
and behind the water pipe in the
bathroom was loaded revolver.
Wilhaber who has been treated as
a trusty, in spite of his reputation
occupied cell with Lapp. and De
Lappe and Pearce had neighboring
cell together.
The plan was for Lapp to call to the
night watch. William Hill. and ask
to be taken TO the bathroom.
Because whitaker IS a trusty Hill
was not expected to close the cell door
after letting Lapp out. whitaker was
to follow the two to the bathroom.
seize the revolver and kill Hill. Then
/ the two were to release De Lappe
and Pearce and the four were to
climb through the window with the
cut bars and escape in IN automobile
which was to be in waiting for them.
Confesses to Jury.
| AS soon as the saws and revolver
and the bars were discovered Warden
Sullivan ordered the four men locked
in cells far apart. He questioned
them, but got no information from
anv Of them until yesterday, when
wflhaber announced that he would
confess If he were allowed to testify
, before the grand jury. Taken before
| the grand jury he said that on Sun
day morning a New York man Wis
tied him in jail Then the jail break
: ing and the murder of the guard was
| planned
"By arrangement, lowered a string
! from the window of my cell" VIII.
| haher said. sat o'clock Monday
morning. My friends attached tbs
| five saws to the end of the string
and I drew them up. Then I lowered
the string again and brought up the
revolver.
1--WE set to work at once sawins
the window bars and before daylight
Monday we had them cut."
The gupman then told how he wal
to kill Hill II the latter made th'
slightest sornd or attempted TO inter
fere with the escape.
: "And we would have done both" hs
added.
! after we had got from the jail We
were to be taten care of by my
friends. who were to have met us In
touring car There was no chance
for US to have been caught had we
got ont Of the jail"
whitaker has given the name of the
New York man and has told the
police where he may be fond. He il
I in hiding and believes himself safe
from the police.