The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-07-30
WOMAN HELPS ROBBER
ESCAPE MERIDIAN JAIL
MRS. LAURA JOHNSON ADMITS
PURCHASING A TICKET FOR
FRANK HAND TO LEAVE.

MeTluidH, MlSs., Juiy oV' II aim
Hand, who was in the county Jail
pending an appeal to the State SUI
preme Court on a conviction for high
way robbery, made his escape and is
supposed to have left on the A. G. s
train on ticket purchased for Gin.
cinnati
The case is being investigated by
the county authorities and there are
hints of sensational developments.
Much interest has been added by the
arrest of Mrs. Laura Johnson, about
"a years old, charged with aiding the
prisoner to escape.
Hand had sawed out one of the iron
bars to a panel and after the other
prisoners had gone to sleep he
squeezed through the hole, which was
6 IL by Is inches, and having in some
way secured a duplicate key, passed
through three heavy iron doors which
the same key fitted, and then out
tHiOu6h a udhWdy W hoOity'
1t is said by the officers that Mrs.
Johnson had gone to the union depot
and had purchased, with money sup
piled by Hand, ticket and a sleeping
car berth to Cincinnati. This ticket,
it is said, she furnished to Hand, who
is supposed to have been disguised In
some way, and it is believed that he
then went on toward Birmingham and
possibly to Cincinnati, but there is no
clew as to where he got off the train.
Admits Buying Ticket.
Mrs. Johnson's father, J. w. Lee,
says his daughter acknowledged buy
ing the ticket, but declared that she
furnished no duplicate key for Hand.
The mystery that the officers are now
trying to solve is who gave Hand the
duplicate key and how they secured
wax impression to have a key made.
Mrs. Johnson confessed that she was
fond of Hand and that she had visited
him with his sisters and others while
he was in the jail and had also talked
to him from the outside through the
iron bars.
In her statement she duplicates an
other woman as to the keys, and the
officers are investigating along this
line and if the statement of Mrs. John
son proves true, it means big sensa
ton. Mrs. Johnson is being held at
the sheriff's office, where a further
investigation is being conducted, but
had not made bond which Justice
Foster had fixed at $4,000, provided
she wanted a preliminary trial.
When Jailer Wagner went to feed
his prisoners this morning he left a
plate at Hands cell, and seeing what
he supposed to be Hand in the cell
asleep, he concluded he would not
awaken him. Later it was found that
Hand had made dummy that de-
leeived the jailor into thinking that he
was in the cell asleep.
Offers 500 Reward.
AS soon as it was found that Hand
had escaped, Jailer Wagner gave the
alarm and telegraphed broadcast Civ
ing his description and offering 800
reward. Hand was convicted of rob-
bling Tom Barber. a jewe1er of this
city, about seven months ago. He and
Joe Permenter waylaid Barber near
his fathers home. Barber was knocked
in the head with piece of iron and
left unconscious, diamonds amounting
in value to $3.50 being taken from him.
Hand disposed of three diamonds in
New Orleans, and was arrested in that
city and brought to Meridian. Per-
menter was arrested in Port Gibson
and made a complete confession in
volving Hand. Permenter was SEN
fenced to five years in the penitentiary
and Hand was sentenced to Is, an ap-
peal being taken in the Hand case.
1t was predicted by many that the
county jail would not hold
Hand many months, as he was known
to be man of desperate and daring
character. Hand is related to some of
the most prominent people in the city.
Mrs. Johnson is the wife of Lloyd
Johnson, an engineer on the Mobile
& Ohio railroad, against whom she
fled suit for divorce in May.