Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-10-09
BREAK Fooled
BY MRS. CARRIE KERScH
Tanner and Erwin Girl Plan
Escape Which Fails by
Close Margin

The mystery surrounding the disap-
peaance of Willard X. Tanner from
the penitentiary September 80 was
cleared up with vengeance at about
. O'Clock yesterday morning, and the
judgment OF Superintendent Mimic, who
has contended that it was impossible
for Tanner to have escaped from the
institution, has been found good
Yesterday morning Tanner accom-
panied by Hazel Erwin, who was con-
victed with him for the murder of Roy
Wallace in a Portland rooming house
in 1912, entered the room in the wo-
man's ward of the prison occupied by
Nonnie Williams who is doing time
for completely in staDbing affray III
Portland several months ago.
The Williams girl was bound and
gagged almost before she was awake,
and then the Erwin girl went to the
room of Carrie Kersch, who is serving
a term for manslaughter, and told her
! that the negro girl was sick and asked
her to come and see what was the mat
ter
| Without premonition of what was
going on, Mrs. Kersch responded to the
call, and as she entered the Erwin
girl s room, where she had been told
the negro girl was, she was seized by
the throat by Tanner, who was hiding
behind the door. Mrs. Kersch fought
I dcsperately-so desperately that the
man was unable to choke her into sub
mission or prevent her from getting
away from him. Once out of his clutch
es, she ran to the window and called
for help.
/ Gave the Alarm
She was heard by the superintendent
the matron and the guards, who 'hur-
red to the scene. But when they ar
rived Tanner was nowhere to be seen.
Ii was then discovered that hole had
been made through the brick wall be-
tween the woman S ward and the Ber-
tillion room, and in the latter room
Tanner was presently found stretched
on the top of large bookcase.
The attempted break was the final
act in carefully laid plot hatehed up
by Tanner and his partner, the Erwin
girl. to escape from the prison. Super
j intendent Mint0 believes that had the
plan been carried out successfully Ma
tron Pope would have been overpower-
ed and her keys taken away from her,
after which Tanner and the Erwin girl
would have let themselves into the
grounds, from which they trusted to
escape without further difficulty
Tanner had in some manner obtained
a suit of civilian S clothes, and to this
extent the theory that assistance had
been given him by some one of the Wis
itors to the prison during fair. week
seems to have been correct. The Erwin
girl was wearing clothing similar tC
that worn by the matron. 1t is general
ly believed at the prison that since bis
disappearance Tanner has been conceal
cd in the Erwin girl s room to whicl
he had gained access by removing
four foot section of Dashboard in tho
Bertillion room and tunneling through
% inch brick wall. Entrance to the
Bertillion room was probably effecte,
by means of skeleton key, although
no such key has been found.
Tanner Lost Since Fair
The work of tunnellng through the
wall could not have been accomplished
in less than a weeks time. As fast
as bricks were removed from the wal
they were dropped down an unused
chimney in the Bertiliion room.
Tanner has planned other escapes
according to statements by the prisor
officials. At one time last fall while
he was employed as assistant to the
prison photographer, a key made to fiji
door leading to the roof was found
and it was at this time that Tanner was
transferred from the photography de
partment to the prison bakery, where
he was working at the time of his dis
appearance September 30.
Both Tanner and the Erwin girl have
been placed in solitary confinement.
Mrs. Carrie Kersch, who gave th'
alarm and prevented the couple s eS
cape, was recommended for condition
al pardon last month by the .parol
board and this recommendation is nov
| under consideration by the governor
! 1t is thought that this development
may have some bearing on the grant