The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-12-27
MuNC|E JUDGE
PROBES ESCAPE
OF PRISONERS
Three Bad Men, Started
Saving way to Liberty Ten
Days Ago.

MUNCIE. Ind. Dec. 27.--Judge Will
liam A. Thompson Of the Circuit Court
this afternoon started an investigation
OF the jail breaking here this morning
which resulted in the escape of Ed
ward Mccoy. under sentence OF life
imprisonment for murder; Otto dick
ory) Harris. paroled convict. arrested
last Monday night suspected OF bold
holdup. and John Wilkerson. paroled
convict serving sentence imposed in
the City Court here when convicted
OF larceny.
Judge Thompson's court Of inquiry
brought to light that the work OF saw
ing the iron bars at the jail was start.
ed more than ten days ago. immediate.
ly after Mccoy was convicted Of muir
der; that certain persons in the jail
who did not escape. aided in the work;
that more than twelve saws were
slipped into Mccoy from time to time:
that Mccoy was permitted to see Wis.
itors any day; that last Friday Nc.
Coy's mother came to the jail. when
visitors were not supposed to see
prisoners. and gave Mccoy 5000; that
Mccoy was permitted to receive boxes
and baskets of food at almost all
times; that prisoners were not locked
I'D in their cells at night and were
permitted to roam about through cell
halls as they pleased.
The three men broke from the jail,
Oh otr H.
ing, after they had sawed lock on a
door leading to the upper corridor.
Previously they had sawed the bars
10 one OF the windows and after get
ting into the corridor their escape was
easy Police in surrounding cities
have been asked to look for the men.
All Known as dad Men"
All three OF the prisoners are known
as bad men" and all have served
time in rison. Andrew Brown, a negro
prisoner. testified before Judge Thomp-
son that he learned Of the work that
was going on more than ten days ago.
He said Mccoy had several of the
men in Jail working for him saving
the bars on the promise that he would
let them in On the escape. He said
men who had sawed on the bars told
him of their work and the plan to es.
cape. He said that he was told the
break was to be made tonight, but he
said Mccoy and his two pals "put it
over" on the rest by getting away this
morning He said one of the escaped
men stole a suit Of clothes from one
Of the prisoners.
One Of the men told him, he said,
that there would be two automobiles
outside the Jail to take them away af-
ter they got out. Men whom Brown
mentioned in his story deny any know.
ledge Of the intended escape. II is be-
lieved that several persons outside the
Jail knew Of the intended escape
Sheriff and Mrs. O'Hara had been
away for few days visiting at 10
gansport and they arrived home at
the jail at . o'clock this morning. At
that time, Sheriff O'Hara said every
thing was quiet about the place. and
il is his opinion that the men did not
get away until about o'clock this
morning.
Mccoy. formerly bartender, was
convicted on Dec. s. last, of first de-
gree murder for the killing Of Frank
Butler, a young negro. Mccoy shot
Butler without any provocation, and
the jury fixed his penalty at life i'm
prisonment. Harrison was placed in
Jail Christmas eve after he had staged
a daring hold-up in drug store here
and had shot at the proprietors wife
The authorities say they have no clew
az to the whereabouts of the men