The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-08-19
HARRY THAW ESCAPES
FROM The ASYLUM
SLAYER OF WHITE THOUGHT TO
BEON WAY TO EUROPE.
Dash Through Open Gate, Leap Into
Automobile and ROcket-Like
Flight for Connecticut.


the Criminal Insane here at 7,45
o'clock this morning. A dart for liberty
through an open gate, a leap into the
open door of a powerful automobile
that stood quivering outside and
flight like a rocket for the Connecticut
State line, thirty miles away, accom-
plished his escape.
Tonight he was still at large and
the hospital authorities felt certain ne
was outside the State. Once beyond
it's boundaries Thaw is free, Only
months, perhaps years, of litigation
can bring him back to aMtteawan and
then only in one event-that he be
adjudged insane in the State to which
he has fed.
Five confederates manned the car in
which Thaw escaped and big black
limousine which trailed it past the
Asylum gate. The police have the oe-
scriptions of Thaw's confederates and
the names under which they register
ed at local hotel Friday night and
are seeking them.
The hospita l authorities DelleVeo
that Thaw had fed to the shore OF
Long Island Sound and boarded
Yacht waiting with steam up to rush
to Europe.
$500 Reward For ThaW.
A reward of $500 for Thaw's appre-
hension has been offered by DR.. X.
F. c. Keib, superintendent OF the
Asylum. Howard H. Barnum, the at
tendant at the gat ast whom ina"
flashed in his breahior freedom IS
under arrest, and other arrests are
expected to follow in the rigid IN
vestgation begun by DR.. Kelb.
The shades were drawn in the DOR
mitories and the inmates were getting
their second sleep when ThaW, tuIiy
dressed, left his room this morning
The milkman's cart was rumbling on
the road outside as he walked through
the storeroom and into the outer
court. or yard, of the Asylum grounds
Barnum, sole attendant at he road
gate, was pacing back and forth Wnen
Thaw closed the storeroom door be-
hind him and apparently did not grasp
the significance of Thaw's early r1s-
ing.
Long years of residence at the Asy-
lum and reported declarations oy
Thaw that he would never attempt
to obtain his freedom except by legal
means, had established Thaw's status
as a ''trusty."
There was little out of the ordinary
in his appearance even at so early an
hour in the court yard, and if Bar
mum saw him-as to this no one save
the hospital authorities could say to-
night, and they refused to talk-he
raised no question.
How ThaW Escaped.
A black six-cylinder touring car, so
horse power, followed by 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
it wide to let the milkman enter. At
the same moment the two cars drew
up on the farther side of the road op-
posite the gate and stopped, their en-
gines throbbing AS Barnum stepped
aside for the milkman to drive inside
the grounds he heard the gravel
crunch beneath Thaw's feet and look
ing up saw Thaw fash past him
straight for one Of the waiting cars.
With a shout Barnum started in pur-
suit, but a flying leap landed Thaw
safe in the car The automobile
wheels began turning before the keep
er fairly reached the roadway ana
they were throwing up cloud of dust
before he lad gone 25 feet.
Down the roadway the cars sped in
whirling cloud of dust that quickly
blotted them from sight. For mo-
mert Barnum shaded his eyes with
his hand and watched Them; then with
the first great blot on his career of
twenty years as keeper he dashed
madly back into the grounds and lock-
ed the gate.
"Thaw's gone-escaped," he shout
ed bursting mot Dr. Keib's presence.
And in a moment the hunt was on.
The great black car flashed like a
thunderbolt through Stormville, ten
miles easth of Matteawan, along the
road to the Connecticut line. Early
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