Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-08-19

pulling third man into the car. At
that time they had just passed tie gate
Barnum stood by the gate. closed It and
then walked toward the machine. shon
and gave the alarm. He said Thaw5 had
gotten into an automobile,
Mrs. Maher added that the automobile
looked like taxicab and the back OF
the car was closed
Holland House, said the car in which
Thaw escaped vas 1918 model and was
run by man who said his name was
Thompson. There were numbers on the
car, but he was unable to tell in the poor
light what they were Saturday, a man
called Thomas Flood came" continued
the witness. driving a four-cylnder
landaulette which looked like a closed
car when the top was up 1t was a two
seated car for five passengers. l did not
see the man in good light and would
be unable to recognize him. II did not
see the other men. I came in, at 73o
o clock and sold Roger Thompson 20 gall
Ions of gasoline. Flood bought nine gal
Ions. The gasoline was charged to a
man named Butler. Sunday morning [
saw Thompson drive the big car away,
and man was in the seat with him. He
left at o'clock and the smaller car le,t
between 7.lo and 100 O'Clock. Flood was
at the wheel of the second car. He was
accompanied by two other men, Both
cars went up Main street in the direction
of Matteawan."
Churchwell described Thompson as be-
ing slightly under six feet weighing 100
or 165 pounds. clean shaven, square
shoulders. we'll built and had a fair com
plexion. Churchwell thinks he wore a
blue suit.
Leroy $. Crum. an employee of the hos
pitai, gave the following account of the
escape:
II went to the door some three or four
minutes before the car came down the
road. looked up and saw Thaw stand
ing In the middle of the gate and Barnum
on the side. l stayed there for over a
minute, and went to the harness room
and when / returned the car was going
down the hill. Bobbie Odell came in with
some milk and l said to Odell: That's
Thaw in that automobile He replied:
Are you sure?' and l said it looked very
much like Thaw. Odell was coming from
the womens kitchen when the car came
down the road. l did not see Thaw get
into the car but I did see him sitting in
the middle of the back seat
Crum said he had had no CONVERSE
ton with Barnum but added that he had
seen Barnum and Thaw walking around
the yard for the past two or three months
and on Sunday morning, Barnum and
Thaw walked toward the gate.
Il have no opinion to form on the
case" Crum replied in answer to ques-
ton by District Attorney Conger.
Several minor witnesses were called
after which Justice Morschauser issued
the warrants for arrest.
Barnum. the old keeper who opened the
big gate at Matteawan. just once too
often. issued statement. tonight say
| ing in effect that he was being made the
| scapegoat Thaw had a great deal of
| liberty in the court yard, he said, and
| the gate through which he sprang was
| so wide that he (Barnum) without weap-
| ons of any kind. as is the institution rule.
| was unable to check Thaws dash to lib
| erty. Notwithstanding his repeated dec
| larations of innocence, Barnum was held
| at Poughkeepsie without bail
John B. Riley. the state superintendent
| of prisons. laid stress on the fact that
| a court oTuer Had permitted 1HdW 10
| consult privately with counsel. He la
| mented this fact and said "Thaw evil
IDENTIFY bribed the guard to open the
| gate
| In the midst of her rejoicing over her
| sons escape. which she described laugh
| ingly as meat piece of work." Mrs.
/ Thaw reiterated throughout the day the
| statement that she knew nothing of his
/ flight until told of 1t by reporters.
| Evelyn Thaw. for whose sake Thaw
| says he shot down Stanford White, said
| she hoped that IL Harry was aboard a
| yacht that he would stay there
ION yacht she said, che can do no.
body any harm. II ashore, l shouldn't be
surprised IL he is headed straight for
And street and Broadway. I'd be mighty
| afraid IL he came here-afraid he would
try to kill me. Yet I am not half as
afraid as the Thaw family. They appear
to be eiated at his liberty, but down in
their hearts they are afraid he viii
1 bring them more disgrace and sorrow"