The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-01-24
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M'Cl0SKEY IS CLIPPER
From Saturdays Daily.


morning. Attracted by affection for
his wife. he returned to MankatO
last night with the intention, as he
says, of surrendering himself, Ac-
cOrding TO his statement, he saw his
wife early this morning and she ad.
visod him to give himself up. But
had decided to do that anyway"
lac hastily added.
Someone who knew McCloskey by
sight saw him in a saloon early this
morning and telephoned 10 Deputy
Sheriff Jacob Eiilger, telling him OF
the fact. Mr.. IIilger at once got
busy and went up the line" and
found McCloskey in the Rcade sa-
loon. When Mr.. Hilger approached
him McCloskey hastily put his right
hand 10 his hip. as though TO draw
= weapon, but Mr.. Hilger sliced him
by the arms and searched him. Nc
ClOskey was unarmed, and had no
money The deputy sheriff at once
locked him mp at the city police
station where Deputy Sheriff Ed. Ario
GOT him short time afterwards and
returned him TO the county Jail. The
prisoners recapture was effected
shortly after seven o'clock this morn
ing. He was then slightly under
the influence of liquor
Feeling in Good Spirit.
When seen at the county Jail this
forenoon by Free Press reporter.
McCloskey was feeling in good
spirits and talked freely and in a
friendly vein. His face and hands
4 h,,, ~ oil
way was his appearance changed, and
he had evidently made no attempt to
disguise himself. He told of his
wanderings after breaking Jail last
week Friday morning.
NcCloskey said that p. ]. Hawley
made all the preparations for get
ting ont of jail, secretly, and sur
prised him Thursday evening just
before the prisoners were locked in
their cells. by asking him if he did
not want 10 take n walk. He then
seems TO have told McCloskey of his
preparations for getting ont, McClos-
key entered Hawley's cell during the
night. through the sloD pail door at
the bottom of his cell. 1t appears
that the slop pals are kept inside
exercise corridor, with small iron
door on each side, so that the pri-
soner can use the pail by opening
the door from the inside, and so that
the pail can be taken out from the
corridor side without unlocking the
cell. 1t has been supposed by the
Jail officials that these inside doors
were fastened tightly, or locked, so
that prisoners could not open them,
hut il has been discovered that the
fastnnings have been sawed Off and
soaped and painted over or at least
some of them-and prisoners could
jar them loose and crawl into each
others cells. Sheriff Osten had been
astonished to find one prisoner in
the exercise corridor occasionally, in
the morning, before the cells were
opened. 1t is supposed that the
door fastenings were sawed by the
train robbers who were in the Jail
some years ago. Today mechanics
were at work riviting these doors to
the cells. so they can no longer be
used.
Escaped at Half Past One.
McCloskey said that the escape
was made about half past one
o'clock in the morning. Both men
removed their clothing and soaped
themselves and thus were enabled to
force themselves through the small
opening that Hawley had made by
saving two of the bars in the short
space between the floor and the
lowest cross brace. They then I'M
locked the door leading into the
sheriff's office, but McCloskey re.
fused TO state with what it was un.
locked. When it was suggested
that some people had expressed sus.
piCiOn that his wife had aided in
their escape he flew into rage and
said he would pound up anybody who
even intimated that He denied EN-.
phatically that his wife had any pre-
vious knowledge of the intended es-
cane. He said that she nearly
tainted when he appeared at the
back door of the restaurant where
she was employed, after his escape.
He said that she did not give him
nor Hawley any money, as she had
none to give Neither had she sent
him any later
Passed Through Kitchen.
After getting into the sheriff's of
flee, the two men had gone ont
through the kitchen. thence to the
alley back of the Jail, and around
the building via Walnut and Fifth
streets TO see whether there were
any lights in the building, and
thence down Jackson street to the
foot of the hill, where they parted
after tying their shoes and Hawley
putting On rubbers. Sheriff 0sten
saws the bloodhounds took this eX
act route Friday.
McCloskey said that he left the
city on the 500 a. m. limited train
riding in the engine cab. as he was
acquainted with the fireman, who was
an old New York Central employe
and who after hearing his story, had
offered to loan him $40. He had gone
at once from st. Paul to Chicago
and there worked two days at his
trade of plumber, receiving $3.50 a
day. Then he had returned to ST
Paul by way of Mankato, arriving
here the same night that Hawley was
caught. He had spent eight or nine
hours in the city, going here and
there and not being recognized. He
said that he passed the police sta.
ton four or five times and one time
saw Desk Sergeant Scoville through
the window, and was tempted to
give himself up but decided not to-
Passed Policemen on Street