South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-08-18

White, escaped from the hospital for
the criminal insane here at 7:45 sun
day morning. A dart for liberty
through an open gate. a dash into the
oper door of a powerful automobile
that stood quivering outside. and a
eight like a rocket for the Connecticut
state line, 80 miles away, accomplish
ed his escape.
Sunday night he was still at large
and the hospital authorities felt GER
tain ne was outside the state. once
beyond its boundaries, Thaw is free
only months, perhaps years, of liti-
cation can bring him back TO Mat
teawan and then only in one event
that he be adjudged insane in the
state TO which he has fec.
Five cOnfederates manned the car
in which Thaw escaped and big
black limousine which trailed it past
the asylum gate. The police have
their descriptions and the names un-
der which they registered at a local
hotel Friday night and are seeking
them.
of To Europe.
The hospital authorities believe
Thaw has ned TO the shore OF Long
Island sound and boarded a yacht
TO Europe.
A reward of $500 for Thaw's ap-
prehenslOn has been offered by DR.. X.
r. G. kieb, superintendent of the asy-
lum. Howard III. Barnum, the attend
ant at the gate. past whom Thaw
flashed in his break for freedom, is
under arrest and other arrests are eX-
pected to follow in the rigid investi-
cation begun by Dr. kieb.
The shades were drawn in the dor
mitories and the inmates were getting
their second sleep when ThaW left his
room this morning. He was fully
dressed. The milk mans cart was
rumbling in the road outside as he
walked through the store room and
into the outer court yard of the asy-
lum grounds. Barnum, sole attend
ant at the road gate, was pacing back
and forth when Thaw closed the store
room door behind him, and apparently
did not grasp the significance OF
Thaw's early rising.
Long years of residence at the asy
lum and repeated declarations by
Thaw that he would never attempt to
obtain his freedom except by legal
means, had established the madman' 5
status as d 'trusty.'
There was little out of the ordinary
in his appearance, even at SO early
an hour. in the court yard. and il
save the hospital authorities, could
say Sunday night and they refused
to talk-he raised no question.
Powerful Car Used.
A six-Cylinder touring car, black, |
and 60 horsepower, followed by q
Limousine, also black, loafed lazily
along the road, as the milkman drew
near the gate. Thaw, standing few
feet away. apparently unconcerned,
waited till Barnum unlocked the gate
and swung il wide to let the milk man
enter At the same moment the two
cars drew UP on the further side of
the road, opposite the gate and stood
still. their engines throbbing.
AS Barnum stepped aside for the
milkman 10 drive inside the grounds,
he heard the gravel crunch beneath
Thaws feet and. looking up, saw the
madman flash past him straight for
one of the waiting cars. With a shout
Rarnum started in persuit but a flying
leap landed Thaw safe within the car.
The great wheels were slowly turning
before the keeper had fairly reached
the roadway They were throwing up
a cloud of dust before he had gone
% feet.
Down the roadway the cars sped !
i'm a whirling cloud of dust that quick !
ly blotted them from sight. For a |
moment Barnum shaded his eyes
with his hand and watched them; I
then. with the first great blot on his |
career of 20 years as keeper, he !
dashed madly back into the ground /
and locked the gate.
Marvel at Speed.
"Thaw's gone-escaped," he shout |
ed. bursting into DR.. Kieb's presence. |
And in a moment the hunt was on. |
The great black car flashed like a /
thunderbolt through Stormville. ten /
miles east Of Matteawan, alOnS the /
road to the Connecticut line. Early I
risers I'm the LATHE hamlet saw three !
men-and Thaw low to /
escape the sweep of their rush through /
the air. They were going 20 miles !
an hour They were ten minutes out
OF Matteawan.
Stormville marvelled at their speed |
and watched them melt away in the |
dust of the state road. The Limousine /
had been left behind. At the speed 1
which the black car travelled through /
he should have reached the /
state line within half an hour.