River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-08-21
HARRY K. THAW
ELUDES KEEPERS
At MAT7EAWAN
WAITING AUTOMOBILES RUSH
HIM AWAY-BELIEVED HE
REACHED COAST AND GOT
ABOARD A YACHT.
REWARD OF $500 is Of
FERRED FOR CAPTURE
Guard Placed Under Arrest-Rigid In
vestiqation is Beeun-Wife Fears
That Husband May Carry Out
Alleged Threats
on Life.

Alleged Threats
on Life.
Matteawan, N. Y, Aug. 18.-Harry
Kendall Thaw, the slayer of Stanford
White, escaped from the hospital for
the criminally insane here at 7:45
o'clock Sunday morning. A dart for
into the open door of powerful au-
tomobile that stood on the outside,
and a flight like rocket for the Con-
necticut state line, 80 miles away, ac-
complished his escape.
The hospital authorities feel certain
he is outside the state. Once be-
yond it's boundaries, Thaw is free.
Only perhaps years of litigation can
bring him back and then only in one
event-that he be adjudged insane in
the state into which he fed.
Names of Confederates.
Five confederates manned the car
in which Thaw escaped and big
black limousine which trailed it past
the asylum gate. The police have the
names under which they registered at
a local hotel Friday night and are
seeking them. The hospital author
tiles believe Thaw has fled to the
shore of Long Island sound and board
ed a yacht waiting, with steam up,
to rush him to Europe.
A reward of $500 for Thaw's appre-
hension has been offered by DR.. R. F.
G. Kleb, superintendent of the asy-
lum. Howard H. Barnum, the attend
ant at the gate, past whom Thaw fled
in his break for freedom, is under
arrest and other arrests are expected
to follow in the rigid investigation be-
gun by DR.. Kieb.
The shades we're drawn in the dor
mitories and the inmates were asleep
when Thaw left his room. He was
fully dressed The milk mans cart
was rumbling on the road outside as
he walked through the storeroom and
into the outer court yard of the
grounds.
Passes Lone Gatemen.
Barnum, sole attendant at the road
gate, was pacing back and forth when
Thaw closed the store room door be-
hind him, and apparently did not
rising.
grasp the significance of Thaw's early
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 his status as a
''trusty."
There was little out of the ordinary
in his appearance even at SO early an
hour, in the courtyard, and if Barnum
saw him-as to this no one, save the
hospital authorities, can say and they
refuse to talk-he raised no question.
A six-cylinder touring car of 60
horsepower, followed by a limousine,
also black, loafed lazily along the road
as the milkman drew near the gate.
Awaits His Chance.
Thaw, standing a few feet away, ap-
parently unconcerned, waited till Barn
um unlocked the gate and swung it
wide to let the milkman 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
thcobbing.
AS Barnum stepped aside for the
milk man to drive inside the grounds.
he heard the gravel crunch beneath
Thaw's feet and, looking up saw him
fash past him for one of the waiting
cars. With a shout, Barnum started
IN pursuit, but flying leaped landed
Thaw safe within the car. The wheels
were slowly turning before the keeper
had fairly reached the roadway. They
were throwing up a cloud of dust be-
fore he had gone 25 feet.
Keeper Shouts the Alarm.
"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
lightning through Stormville, 10 miles
east of Matteawan, along the road to
the Connecticut line.
Early risers in the little hamlet saw
three men-and Thaw-crouching low
to escape the sweep of their rush
through the air. They were going 20
miles an hour. They were 10 min
utes out of Matteawan. At the speed
which the black car travelled through
Stormville Thaw should have reached
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