The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-04
BREAKS JAIL BUT
is RECAPTURED
Mrs. Florence Hunter Davis Gives OF
ficers at Northampton an Tn
easy Two Hours.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass, Dec. 4
Mrs. Florence Hunter Davis, who has
court record in number Of states, from
California to Massachusetts, and was held
at the county jail for larceny Of $500
coat and about 500 in money from Smith
college girls. escaped yesterday afternoon
at ) O'Clock, but was recaptured at Mount
Tom about 6.45. She was at work in the
hallway of the floor occupied by Sheriff
Maurice Fitzgerald when she CHANGED to
he left alone for a minute, and walked
down the stairs and through the door of
the main entrance to the street.
Her absence was discovered within
few minutes of her departure, and she was
seen going through Market and Bridge
streets to the union station, but word did
not reach the jail officers In time to enable
them to capture her.
The woman was seen on Market street
by Maurice Fitzgerald. a young grandson
of Sheriff Fitzgerald, who lives at the jail.
The boy telephoned to the Jail to make
sure he was not mistaken in the woman's
identity. and 80 lost track of her. She
was seen on the station platform by Rene
Constantine. and through others she was
traced to Strong avenue, Main street and
King street Mrs. Davis when she eS-
caped wore the gray wrapper which is the
garb of women at the Jail, and had no hat.
Mrs. Davis was captured when walking
toward Holyoke. oue-half mile below
Mount Tom. at Gao by Chief of Police
George W. Gilbert. The chief had been
notified by Henry $ Wilder of Mount
Tom that woman of the description
given him by the police was walking
through the village of Mount Tom. Chief
Gilbert drove to Mount Tom in a taxi
and when he overlook the woman and
slowed down she asked him for a ride
After she had boarded the automobile the
machine was turned and Mrs. Davis
showed much alarm. She asked where
the chief was going. and he told her that
he was taking her back To jail. Her reply
was that she was sorry she had taken the
trouble to escape. Mrs. Davis made no
trouble on the ride back to the Jail, which
she reached one hour and - minutes after
She had left it,
The police learned that Mrs. Davis had
stopped at some house. the occupants of
which were not known to her. on Pleasant
street and had borrowed a red dress and
then begged q ride to Mount Tom with
John Turner Of Mount Tom. who was
passing her in an automobile. Mrs. Davis
said she left her prison garb at the house
where she borrowed the dress.
Mrs. Davis was arrested at Greenfield
Sunday by Greenfield officers on n0tifica-
tion from the Northampton police. who
wanted her for IarceRrtf a raccoon coat
valued at $500. from Miss Mary McBain
at the Alumnac house on Bedford terrace
and about SO from Smith college girls al
the Gillett house. Satur sty afternoon
Miss AcBain who is Smith college fresh
man living at the Quill. had taken tea nj
the AluRtnac house and Mrs. Davis tool
her coat, it is believed, when she left tht
house after taking tea there Mrs Davi,
is also charged with the larceny of ST.
from the college girls of the Chaplin houst
last October and the larceny of $40 from
Mrs. q. w. MOrniley at the cloak room cI
Grand Army hall when the Relief corps
was holding a meeting there Sevcra
months ago.