The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-13
JA|LER ILLUSTRATES
ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE
Plot to Libcrate Vernon Pugh and W
r. Murphy Is Discovered
by Ohicials.
SENT TO HENRIco JAIL
Something Like $4,000 to Clear Up
Debt on Memorial Methodist Church
Is CoIIecteti---Death OF Robert WIN
stone Still Mystery.

Petersburg. Va. March 12-Vernon
w. Pugh, former timekeeper In the
office of the DUPONT Powder Com
pany at Hopewell. convicted in the
Circuit Court of Prince George Coun-
ty last week of padding the COM
pany's pay roll and given Ave years
in the penitentiary by the jury. and
w. r. Murphy. former member OF
the DUPONT guards and later a mer-
chant at City Point, indicted as an &C
cessory to the pay roll padding, by
which the Dupont Company was
swindled out of more than 100000,
were removed from the Petersburg
Jail to the Hentico County Jail this
morning by Sheriff Boisseau. of Prince
George. for safe-keeping.
Soon after Pugh's arrest at hunt
ing lodge in Eastern North Carolina
some weeks ago, after he had been
Swallowed for several weeks. he was
brought to the Petersburg jail TO
await trial. While being held here
a plot was discovered by the city Jail
officials by which Pugh would have
been liberated IL il had been effected
On yesterday afternoon City Ser
geant John b. Evans discovered that
n second effort to saw the bars from
the cell in which Pugh and Murphy
were confined had been made either
by the prisoners or by an accomplish.
and he Immediately requested Sheriff
Boisseau to remove the two from the
Petersburg jail
Upon the refusal of Judge West to
set aside the verdict by which Pugh
vas given five years in the pentten-
tiary, his counsel. United States Dis
trict Attorney r. II, Mann and d.
Hamilton Wilcox, made motion for
n new trial. and he was confined hero
to await the courts decision on the
motion.
Murphy, who is a brother I'm la W
OF Pugh had not been tried. but his
case has been set for a hearing at
the next session of the court. He
will plead guilty when arraigned and
throw himself upon the mercy OF the
court,
Collect $4,000 ON Church Debt.
Rally day and third anniversary
services OF the Memorial Methodist
Church were held today. with Bishop
A w Wilson preaching at the morn
ing service to a large and deeply In
terested congregation 4 special col
lection WAS taken to pay the remain
der OF the church debt at both the
morning and evening services. The
morning collection amounted to about
$l.100. and report on receipts OF tag
day. held Saturday, showed $3.50 from
that source. Other reports of tag
day will increase this TO $500. IL is
expected. 1t is estimated that the
collection at this evenings service
will bring the whole total to $4,000
sunday School Association Meets.
The Baptist Sunday School Associa-
ton of Petersburg and vicinity held
it's regular monthly meeting this af-
ternoon at the West End Baptiss
Church. The address was made by
Rev, DIR. l. NJ. Roper. pastor OF the
First Baptist Church. An excellent
musical program was given by the
West End school. The reports for the
last month were made. The West
End school led in every department.
One hundred and sixty-three new
scholars were reported enrolled dur
ing the month. with Woodlawn and
the Second Church school leading.
with twenty seven new members each
The next meeting wiz be at -Matoaca
The report for the month showed:
Ave CntinC-