The Washington times., 1916-03-03
CHAINS TO
!. FIND FAMILY HERE
Travels Across Continent to
See Wife and chiId-Held
for Montana Police.

Three prisoners sat handcuffed and
chained together In day coach leav-
ing Butte, Mont, for the Deerlodge
Penitentiary e0e night last November.
One was ~ indian horse-thief. The
second was a long-termer convicted OF
grand larceny. The third was a young
white man sentenced to two years for
carrying concealed weapons.
Tho young white man worked furtive-
~ at the chain which bound him to
his fellows, who drowsed beside him.
A howing northern coming up outside
drowned the clink Of the chains. At
last he was free.
The sheriff in the seat behind him
did not realize that "a break" was
being made until II was too late. The
young white man had ieaped through
q window from the fast moving train.
Futile shots were fired. Posses were
started out. But all in vain.
The young white man, however, 1000
miles from the scene Of his get away"
sits today In the First precinct station.
He II Percy @. Kcating. and his wife
and boy, he Gays, live here on Indiana
avenue.
Is Held BY Police.
He was picked up" last night In front
Of Pennsyivania avenue hotel by De-
tectives Baur and Burlingame. He adj
nitted that he was under sentence in
Butte and told remarkable story to-
day Of world wanderings.
He came to this city about ten Mays
yssf-oid boy who live here. lie admits
having taken the boy, whom he met on
the street, and kept him for two days,
which resulted in his being brought to
WITH Tieuf Iacnes IIarti.v - ~ ~
tective stan.
Information having been received at
folfce Headquarters yesterday that he
In his cell at the First precinct, Keat-
mE told his story today.
Until last week, ! hadn't seen my
wife and boy since 1911." he said. That
was when l came back from Mexico.
ofSsea oSsS hsa fsst. Just started his ruction
I'm 1872. I shipped before the mast
on Norwegian windjammer, went to
Europe, and in the employ OF COM
sicily.
Went To Japan.
II came back to tho United States
IN February, 1913. didn't see my folks,
and shipped on the iron bark Brilliant,
from Philadelphia to Kioke, Japan,
through the Malacca Straits. The
"I remained m Japan q year, and
then came back. landing in Seattle,
August 10, 1916.
'1 opened hotel in Superior. Mont,
and shortly after that got into trouble
over check. MY sentence Of eight
cen months was commuted by Governor
Stewart.
II had been out a month when ! pur-
chased a small automatic pistol. Some
body saw me with 1t. and within two
hours ! was back In a cell.
This got me a sentence or from
eighteen months to two years.
II started for Deerlodge, late in
November. last. I don't recall the day.
Sheriff Matlock had charge of me. I
was handcuffed and bound to two other
prisoners by q chain three or four feet
long. which passed through our hand
cuffs.
"It was night. I got to thinking
about my wife and boy, and then got
one end of the chain loose. The Indian
horse thier was next to me. He wasn't
paying much attention; and I slipped
the chain under his hand and over
his cum. 1t came free.
Leaped From Train.
Then / leaped from the window.
"I landed close beside the track and
lay there in the shadow OF the tram.
l was 30 close that the wheels cut
my coat. I wasn't hurt. though; only
bruised.
IT made a break and got to the out
skirts of Butte and found a black
smith shop. The old blacksmith filed
the cuff and chain from my hands.
The blizzard had broken by that
time. l stayed around between Butte and
Billings for several days. Then l hoof-
ed It to Three Forks. thirty miles away,
hopped q freight. and came East. That
was. the last lap in a circumnavigation
of the globe.
Here i am. and guess I'll have to
serve that concealed weapon sentence, :"
he finished. "But there must be some
thing somewhere for me, and as soon
as 1 get out I'm going 10 hnh AZ -