The sun., 1919-02-01
SLAYER JUST FAILS
IN TOMBS GETAWAY
Ricky HarrisOn's Foot Slips
as He Gains Top of
Jail Wall.
LATER SENTENCED TO DIE
How Prisoner Who Escaped
Once Before Reached Yard
Puzzles Sheriff.

Ricky Harrison, the murderer who
escaped from the Tombs last october
and roved for twelve days, tried IL again
yesterday morning. and almost sue
ceeded
According to his own story, he hal
gained the top Of the Jail wall when his
foot slipped and he fell back into the
yard. Keepers found him hiding behind
Hour barrel In the bread house. One
OF his hips was bruised. and he limped
when he appeared a few hours later be
fore Justice Weeks in the Supreme Courf
and was sentenced to die at Sing Sing
in the week beginning March 10. Sheriff
Knott personally accompanied two depu-
ties who took Harrison to Sing Sins
and saw the door of the death house
close behind him.
Vanished In Exercise Period.
Harrison whose first name Is Richard.
was in a cell OF the first tier above I'll
ground floor Of the Tombs. At : &c"
o'clock he was let out into a corridor
for exercise with other prisoners. When
the others we're returned to their cells
Harrison was not in sight. The alarm
bell was sounded. Deputy Warden Bre
mel called the police detectives ami
keepers swarmed all over the place.
Warden Hanley. who had not reached
the prison when the excitement started.
says his investigation shows that as
soon az Harrison emerged from the
prison into the yard two keepers on the
Lafayette street side saw him. and that
the murderer looking for hiding place.
ran into the bread house. The keepers
locked the door through which he had
entered and then entering the building
through another door found Harrison
squatting behind -four barrels
Tho Warden also said that before
Harrison reached the yard the keepers
found on the ground blanket torn int"
three strips The official theory was tina
Harrison had thrown the blanket from
a window and intended to use II as
ladder for getting over the wall, which
is twelve feet high.
Refuses to Explain FeNt.
How the man was able 70 reach ths
yard will be made the subject OF a re-
port from tho Warden 10 the Commits
sioner of Correction. He had first to pas
through an Iron gate, then past
keepers desk and past TRUSTEES, then
down the stairs and past other TRUSTEES.
and so TO the open yard. Harrison
merely grinned when they asked him
later how all this was accomplished.
81 got clear up TO the top of the wall"
fell. Luck was against me. for ! fe'}
inside instead OF out. Sorry TO havA
caused you so much trouble, Sheriff. but
really had not expected to sec you
again to-day
II his story Is true, he climbed Tho
wall and tumbled off before the keeper
who later caught him knew he was IN
the yard. 4 reporter asked him hop'
he ever got as far as the yard.
oh" he said. I'm not going to tell
all about that. Ask the Warden. He'll
make report"
Harrison was found guilty of nrst
degree murder last week. He and four
other men shot W the Knckerbocke-
Walters Club, Isl Sixth avenue. Septer-
Der 6, a Canadian soldier. George "
Grifflths. and one OF the gunner were
killed.
On October T. white awaiting trial
Harrison got away from the Tombs by
jumping from the seventh tier to a roof
and then scaling the prison wall He
was captured in Newark October ls He
was convicted OF murder on the test
mony Of a girl. Mildred Klein. who dis
appeared from the Waverley Home ms
Wednesday night