The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-01-25
GRIFFITH, ESCAPED PEN INMATE,
COMMITS ANOTHER CRIME; FLEES
WARDEN TERRELL IS
CONFIDENT GRIFFITH
IS ROUSH'S SLAYER
Information Secured That Es-
capped Convict Planned
Motor-Boat Getaway

Warden J. L. T"rrC!l II rHArE' "l
the West Nirrinia prni'' ni.arE III
Moundsville, de. not entertain any
serious doubt tat Ira Eou>h, 2& wear
old antiquity. rNio yuung man. who's"
body was recovered from the ohio river
a. Point Pleasant. ". Va, yesterday
afternoon. was murdered by W II.
(Holly) Griffith, escaped murderer
from the state prison.
Warden Terrell WAS Iuformed In
TELEPHONE message from IA" Intelligent
GER carly las, evening. of the finding Of
young Rouh's body in the river at Point
Pleasant. and Of tn" heltef ot Point
Pleasant police that Roush was another
murder victim of Griffith.
L think that is very likely story.
Warden Terrell replied: II shall not
be at all surprised II We learn in time
that Griffith Killed young Roush."
Further than that. Warden Terrell
asked TO bc excused from making n fur
thcr official statement concerning the
latest crime OF which Griffith is sus-
pected.
warden Notified
II Is known. however. tha; Warden
Terrell was notified by tc1cphon" on
Friday evening O: last week az the dis
appearance OF Ira RouSh. who accom-
panied 4 man answering the description
nf the fugitive murderer from Mounds
Vile. onto the Ohio river in the RouSh
motor boat.
According To tho Information furnish
cd the warden. young Roush and his
father were aCCostcd near their HON" 4:
Antiquity, Ohio. hv - man answering
the description of Holly Griffith. The
stranger opened negotiations with HouSh
III 70 hn go Z pf -
motorboat Young RoUsh was to take
tho stranger out IN tho boat, show him
how to operate the motor. and let IN"
stranger decide whether nc wished 10
make the purrhas"
Ira Roush and the stranger started
out in the boat. Young Roush did not
return and his father became alarmed
Point Pleasant police were notified, and
the demeanor Of the stranger led Chief
White Of that city 70 believe that ~"
stranger In the case was HOLLY Griffith.
Body Recovered
The motor boat was found tied up at
Portsmouth, Ohio, and the Point Plea
SAINT police chief called Warden Terrell
hy telephone and informed him OF the
occurrance and the disappearance of
young Roush. Then late yesterday after
noon came the announcement that Ira
Roush's murdered body had been taken
from the river at Point Pleasant, with
bullet hole in his breast and his skull
From other sources, II Is learned that
prison authorities had been Keeping
lookout down the river for Holly Grif-
18th. Information had been secured 20
the effect that It was part OF Grtfr'th's
plan OF escape TO secure n motor boat
hn
on down the Mississippi river.
Tho Escape
Holly Griffith escaped from the state
prison the evening Of January b. after
first slash!nS the generator drive belt,
throwing tho prison into darkness. nor
tally wounding Henry Lewis. prisoner
engineer and severely woundtng Me!Es
McCray. prisoner electrician. At the
Same timc someone. evidently an ac-
complice in a plot for q wholesale prison
escape. set fire to the klcrson pants
factory in the prison. causing thousands
OF dollars Of loss.
Rloodhounds. tho next day. traced
Griffith to Eosbys Rock wh"T" the trail
was lost. Later reports had Griffith nj
Board Tree, Glovcrs Gap and in th>
vicinity Of Warrington.
Warden Terrell said last night that
he places little or no Crcd"ac" IN ;hc
story that Griffith was in Charleston
Saturday night.
The warden, at tho time "f ';rinith's
escape. declared that hc Wi! exert every
effort to apprehend Griffith. have him
indicted for murder in Marshall county
and secure the Inflicton OF the death
penalty Warden Terrell has bent every
effort to apprchend the man, and now
that Griffith is suspected Of still another
murder. the efforts Of civil authorities
everywhere probably will be rcdouhl"d
Griffith was n life term convict. S"nt
up from BraXton county for FIRST degree
murder.