Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1915-06-16
LOST MEN IN JAIL
Queer Cases That Are a Matter
OF Record.
Feions Forgotten and sequestered In
Probably the Safest Hiding Places
In Which They Could Possi-
bly, Find Refuge.

man may be lost, whether he loses
himself or Is purpossly placed in a
maze from which he cannot find his
way out. But the case Of Rocco Rug.
&c 10, who was recently dug out Of
the Queens county Jail by accident
and placed on trial for murder IN the
first degree. Is very much out Of the
ordinary. says the New York Sun. Six
months previously Ruggerio was In.
dicted for murder and placed in the
Jail. The papers In his case disap-
peared. The district attorney wanted
to check up his cases and asked the
Jail warden for a list OF his prisoners
Ruggerio's name was on the list. No
body seemed to know anything about
the case. Search of the records dis
closed the indictment. Strange as this
case is, Chicago incident of like
character two or three years ago was
even more remarkable. A prisoner
named Philip Dubois was arrested and
placed in Jail on a charge Of felonious
assault. Political friends were able
to secur series of postponements of
the cas-. and have the papers altered
so that the charge was changed to
simple assault. To help the deception
along Dubois was declared to be dy-
ing and was sent to the hospital pend
ing the disposition of his case.
One day at the hospital the screen
that had separated his cot from that
of the next patient was unexpectedly
taken away, and happening to look
ACROSS Dubois saw that the very man
he had assaulted was his hospital
neighbor. On recovering from the
wounds inflicted by Dubois the man
had contracted pneumonia and had
been transferred to the pulmonary
ward He was on the verge of asking
to have his bed changed when Dubois
begged him not to do 30, promising
to pay him well II he would keep his
secret This he agreed to do for a
certain sum.
1t was when part of this sum was
being passed to him by Dubois
friends that TN attendants suspi-
cions were aroused. Investigation
was made and the deception discov.
cred. Dubois was convicted and sen.
fenced When the time came to ar.
raign him new papers had to be
made out. for he was officially lost on
the books as man charged with a
felony.
Which recalls the case of William
Haverhill. forger of Philadelphia,
who was being brought from San
Francisco to the Quaker City some
years ago by a special deputy sheriff
named McCarty. McCarty lad had
an attack CT brain fever just before
being sent across the continent with
the requisition for Haverhill.
They were nearing Denver at noon
on their return journey and were
seated in the Pullman. McCarty hav.
ing hahdcuffed his left wrist to Hav-
erhill's right. Haverhill surmised the
reason at once. He lost no time. He
managed to jerk McCarty forward a
trihe in his seat, so that his body
reclined more toward the back of
the chair. and then tilted the officers
head back so he seemed asleep. He
waited his chance, and when most of
the passengers got out to stretch their
legs he took the handcuff key from
McCarty's pocket and unlocked him
self
He was searching for McCarty's
money when the "All aboard
sounded, so he had barely time to
slip on the train. without cent
In his pocket he could not ride a mile
or purchase meal. But he was a
man OF quick thinking. He walked
right up to a policeman and spat on
his shoes. He was rebuked; he
"sassed" the officer, thereupon he
was arrested. receiving a sentence of
three months as vagrant. He had
served two months when an inter-
cepted letter sent from the Jail by
him gave the necessary clue to the
mystery that had been puzzling the
San Francisco and Philadelphia police
ever since the unconscious McCarty.
stricken anew with fever. was car
ried from the train to a hospital.