The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-08-20
And Dashes Toward Con-
necticut Line.
A WILD FLIGHT FOR LIBERTY
Only Months or Years of Lit.
igatiOn Can Bring Him
Back To Prison.
IN MATTEwAN FIVE YEARS

Mattewan, n. Y, Aug. THAR
ry X. Thaw, the slayer of stanford
White, escaped from the hospital
for the criminal insane here at 7:45
O'Clock this morning. A dart for
liberty through an open gate, a
dash into the open door of power
full automobile that stood quivering
outside and a rocket-like flight for
the Connecticut State line, thirty
miles away, accomplished his escape.
Tonight he was still at large and
the hospital authorities felt certain
he was outside the State.
Once beyond the State bounda-
ries, Thsw is free. Only months,
perhaps years, of litigation can
bring him back to Mattewan 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 a big
black limousine which trailed it
past the asylum gate. The police
have their description and names
under which they registered at To-
cal hotel Friday night and are seek
ing them.
The hospital authorities believe
'Thaw has aed to the shore of Long
Island Sound and boarded yacht
waiting to rush him to Europe.
A reward of $500 for Thaw's ap-
prehension has been offered by DR..
RI r. c. Kieb. superintendent of the
asylum. Howard H. Barnum, the
attendant at the gate past whom
'Thaw flashed in his break for free
dom, is under arrest and other ar
rests are expected to follow in the
rigid investigation begun by DR..
Kieb.
The shades were drawn in the
;dormitories and the inmates were
getting their second sleep when
sThaw left bis room this morning
fully dressed. The milkman's cart
was rumbling on the road outside
as he walked through the store
room and into the outer court or
yard of the asylum grounds. Bar
mum, sole attendant at the, road
gate, was pacing back and forth
when Thaw closed the storeroom
door behind him. He apparently did
not grasp the significance of Thaw's
early rising.
Long years of residence at the |
by Thaw that he would never at
tempt to obtain his freedom except |
by legal means had established the
madman's status as ''trusty."
There was little out of the ordinary
In his presence, even at so early an
hour, in the court yard, and II Bar
mum saws to this no one. save
the hospital authorities, could say
tonight and they refused to talk
he raised no question.
A six-cylinder sixty-horsepower
black touring car. followed by
limousine. also black, loafed lazily
along the road as the milkman drew
near the gate. Thaw, standing a
few feet away. apparently uncon-
cerned. waited till Barnum unlock
ed the gate aud swung it wide to let
the milkman enter. At the same
moment the two cars drove up ON
the farther side of the road oppo-
site the gate and stood still. their
engines throbbing.
As Barnum stepped aside for the
milkman to drive inside the grounds
he heard the gravel crunch beneath
feet and. looking up. saw
the mailman fash past him straight .
for one of the waiting cars. With a =
shout Barnum started In pursuit.
but with flying leap Thaw landed .
safe In the car.
The car got under way before the
keeper fairly reached the roadway.
and its wheels were throwing up a
loud of dust before he had gone
wenty-fiye feet. s
Down the roadway the cars sped b
n a whirling cloud of dust that o
quickly blo.ted them from sight. Il
For moment Barnum shaded his a
yes with his hand and watched e
hem. Then. with the first great n
lot On his ca.eer OF twenty years as Il