Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-19
Slayer Of, Stanford White
Makes Carefully Planned
Dash to Liberty.
IS HURRIED AWAY
IN POWERFUL AUTO
r.eaves Confines Of New
| York and Cannot be Ex-
tradited Under Law.

%& p VI dOxVCu O4AOO4 1IS\Vs
New York, Aug. 1s.-Mrs. Mary
copIey Thaw received about noon
today letter from her son, Harry
x. Thaw, who escaped from Mat
teawan asylum for the criminal
insane early yesterday. ThaW
said he planned to stake rest"
before going to the Thaw country
place, EImhurst, at cresson. Pa.
The letter was postmarked
s1New York, August II, II p. m.
Station O." inside on long slip
Of paper was Thaw's communica-
tlon written In pencil. It ran as
follows:
"AIl we'll. Shall take 4 rest be-
fore going to Elmhurst. might
be asked f,r interviews and don't
wieh to refuse, yet do not care to
make any statement. Hope M and
6 (Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Lauter
carneaie) arrive safe and that you
will 90 home together.
'Have sent ehort note to the
Journal. III. <.
New York, Aug. 1S.-Harry Thaw's
more than 24-hour absence from the
Matteawan asylum for the criminal
Insane has established this forenoon
little beyond the fact that he had
escaped and that New York, in the
opinion Of those qualified toSspeak. had
elm chance to rextradite HIM
That he il beyond the borders 81 the
state was regarded as certain. With
the Connecticut state line but thirty,
miles from the asylum wall and Thaw
and his 4 cOnspirators travelling by
automobile more than sixty miles an
hour, reaching Connecticut was mat
ter OF thirty minutes OF less.
Whether the slayer of Stanford
White boarded yacht off South Nor
walk, Conn.,, a theory advanced Dy the
presence and sailing from there OF
yellow funneled craft, had not been
borne out today. On the other hand,
no authenticated trace OF Thaw had
been found in Connecticut, nor were
there clews of his escape on toward
the Canadian border.
When found-and 1t was considered
today a foregone conclusion that he
would be found-the New York author
tiles. it was said, might try to force
his cxtradition on one of two grounds.
First that in escaping he technically
assaulted keeper; second, that. brib-
cry Of some attache Of the asylum
could be shown. Either of these II sus-
tained would constitute an extraditable
offense.
Howard Barkam, the gate keeper
past whom Thaw darted through the
open gate and was dragged into an
automobile, remained in jail at
Poughkeepsie today. He maintained
that he was innocent of any complica-
tfon in any plot.
In New York. Mrs. Mary Copley
Thaw. mother Of the fugitive, con-
tinued today to receive visitors at her
hotel apartments, to all OF whom she
expressed her unfeigned Joy at her
sons escape, meantime Indignantly
denying that the Thaw family had any
hint Of the matter until newspaper
men told them.
Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, lamenting that
her husband was at large, pronounced
him dangerous to the community and
applied for police protection. She re-
called his threat to kill her and pro-
fessed to believe that her presence on
the New York stage at this time had
goaded him to dash for liberty.
Gives Account Of Dash.
One of the clearest accounts OF
Thaw's escape comes from Mrs.
James Maher, an cmploye at Mat
teawan She was standing in the laun-
dry tower, overlooking the yard. Be
low che noticed Thaw; on the roadway
outside were two cars.
~ stayed at the window longer than
usual" she related. "becapss noticed
4 fine big touring car at the bottom OF
Lowery's hill and saw another auto
mobile right close to the yard gate. A
man was working on the machinery
and | thought 1t was out Of order.
"Then noticed two big men step
out They opened both side doors OF
the car. One of the men waved his
handkerchief to man who was lean
Ing against the open car at the bottom
OF the hill
"Thaw suddenly walked over to the
rate and I saw Hickey's milk wagon
coming up the hill. Mr.. Hickey was
driving slowly. AS he stopped In front
of the gate he climbed from his seat
'aThe milkman walked over to the
bell button and the next moment
heard the gong ring. Then saw Thaw
lean against the gate post as Barkum
drew back the lock and pushed the
door open. could hear Hickey urge
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