The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-13
LEAVES DUMMY IN
HIS sing sing CELL
Young Burglar, Formerly
Artist, Fashions Head From
Soap, Dough and Putty.
STUFFS PILLOW IN COAT
John McAllister Then Van
ishes, Leaving Clothing
Outside Prison Wall.

BY leaving an ineenlously made dummy
In his cell. a trick OF jail breakers as
old as the prison itself, John McAllister,
a young burglar, escaped from Sing Sing
some time between sunset Wednesday
and sunrise yesterday.
1t is the first escape from Sing Sing
proper in nearly three years, although
William Meyer, when warden, lost six
Sing Sing prisoners from the prison farm
at Wingdale. all but one of whom we're
recaptured.
The ruse OF leaving an effigy in a cell
so the occupants absence will not be
noticed and he can get good start on
the guards has been worked every Ave
or ten years since Sing Sing was built
ninety-four years ago. But 1t was never
as cleverly done as McAlllster accom-
rlished II.
Jean Kirsher. another burglar and
jail breaker, known as Little Butterfly"
was the last to effect his getaway by
leaving stuffed prisoner" He de-
parted January IL, 1915, and left his
proxy In his cage, with the legs neatly
crossed. reading an opened out newspa-
per. Warden George w. Kirchwey
thought the dummy SO we'll made and
situated he had it Photographic and
exhibited the picture to all prison
visitors.
McAllister, who was an artist before
being sent to Sing Sing, modelled better
dummy than did Kirsher. Kirshers had
no head. the opened out newspaper
clasped In the dummy's hands concealing
the lack OF 1t from guards who hourly
peek In through the lattice in each
cell door. McAllister. though, fashioned
a head OF a composition believed to con-
sist OF soap. dough and putty. He COW
cred the head with hair. He shaped the
features and combed the hair as near
AS possible to his own image and like
ness. The body was made by stufflng a
prison uniform with n pillow, rags,
straw and waste.
That's why the guard on gallery S,
where McAliister was locked, five tiers
above the ground. thought he was asleep
on his cot When the prisoners stepped
out or their cells In the cell block and
stood on the gallery yesterday to 60 to
breakfast there was one vacant space.
The guards concluded that some one had
oversight. So when a keeper opened Nc
Alltster's cage and reached over to shake
the leg OF. the drowsy occupant he was
startled TO discover only the image of
McAllister.
Frederick Dorner, assistant PRINCIPAL
keeper. notified Edward v. Brophy. war
den. who has been extremely careful
since taking Office and used every pre-
caution to prevent getaways, which are
always tried with a change Of wardens.
warden Brophy Immediately ordered
rob nI
lice. As 1t was evident that McAllister,
II he succeeded in getting outside the
walls, had long start, the big prison
whistle was not blown.
HE was positively accounted for at his
work in the brush shop Wednesday af-
ternoon. The supposition is that he laid
out the dummy on his cot and then con-
cealed himself somewhere in the ward
when the prisoners went to supper and
were locked indoors for the night There
Is no sign that he broke out of the
chapel, mess hall or other structure
&C injected with the cell block where
prisoners sleep
When the dummy ruse was worked
heretofore there were no guards on the
prison wall during the early hours OF
the morning. 1t was a simple matter II
prisoner could stow away, unmissed
In the yard, to scale the iron fence and
swim around either wall to the river
bank. But for two years a guard has
Deem stationed at the river end of each
wall.
Warden Brophy announced last night
that clothing discarded by the prisoner
after his escape was found near the
south side Of the prison wall Appat-
emily the convict swan around the
guard post and approached the home OF
Mrs. Charles Palmer nearby. She says
she saw man prowling around her
boats and threatened to shoot him He
took to his his heels.
McAllister. alias Joseph Herman, was
received at Sing Sing from Bronx
county for burglary on August 10 for
four years and six months. He was a
third offender. Warden Brophy will
pay the customary 1850 reward TO get
him back.