The New York herald., 1921-01-04
SAWS0UT,
FLEES TO LIBERTY
FROM CITY PRISON
Bitzburger, Captured Last
Week in Broadway Motor
Chase, Free Again.
WANTED in 3 CITIES
Guard With Gun Levelled
Stops Rush of Others to
Follow Out Window.
DRIVEN BACK INTO CELLS
New Jersey Police Chief Com
plains Of Failure to Take
Precautions.
IN 3 CITIES
DRIVEN BACK INTO CELLS

Henry Lloyd Bitzburger,i VINO was
wanted by the police of at least three
cities for bank robbery, escaped yes
terday morning from the West Side
prison in West Fifty-fourth street by
saving through barred window and
leaping to the roof of street car shed,
from which he reached the street and
disappeared Twenty other prisoners
who had witnessed Bitzburger's break
for freedom tried to follow him, but
were prevented by a keeper who
threatened to shoot to kill. One pris-
oner was half way through the open
window when the keeper covered him
with mis- pistol and drove him back
Bitzburger and Jerome b. Chaffee
were arrested at Seventy-second street
and Broadway week ago after spec
tacular fight with detectives in an auto
mobile at that point They were ac-
cused of completely in the robbing OF
the First National Bank at Milltown,
N j.. December 20. Since their arrest
the police of Railway, N. j. and Lancas-
ter, Pa have announced they also want
ed them for bank rubbery. They were
being held to await extradition and were
to have been transferred to the Tombs
yesterday.
Heard Crash of Glass.
Bitzburger was one of group of pris-
oners who were released from their
cells on the first tier soon after o'clock
and permitted to walk UP and down the
west aisle, which runs from the Fifty
fourth to the Fifty-third street side OF
the prison building. George Anton, the
keeper was examining the cells abutting
the east aisle The cells cut off his
view from the prisoners in the other
isle
Hearing crash of glass he ran to
the other aisle and saw the prisoners
running toward the first window from
Fifty-third street. The window Is five
feet from the floor and there Is radia-
tor three feet high in front of it.. When
Anton reached the window he found
Thomas Hunt of S93 Columbus avenue.
prisoner awaiting arraignment for as
saut and robbery, half way through.
The keeper drew his pistol and de-
manded that Hunt halt.
Apparently thinking that Anton had
his hands full with Hunt. the other pris-
oners started to rush the keeper In an
attempt to overpower him. Anton, how
against the wall and, levelling his pistol
at the onrushlng prisoners. announced
he would kill the first man who ad-
vanced another step. Hunt got down
from the window and Joined the other
prisoners, whom Anton backed into one
cell after another and snapped the doors
shut The keeper then sounded the es-
cape alarm. the roll was called and
Bitzburger was found to be missing.
, A bar an inch and half thick had
been sawed at its base and bent upward.
These bars were "a inches apart, so
the saving OF one gave Bitzburger
space seven inches to squeeze through.
He is slim of build and apparently got
through with ease. Behind the radiator
below the window the keepers found
saw with an eight-inch blade. How
BItzburger. obtained this saw is a mys-
terry.
Trail Lost mt street.
The window through which Btzbur-
ger escaped is about seventy-five feet
above the street and three feet above
the Ninth avenue barns OF the New York
Railway Company. which is separated
from the prison by an alley three feet
wide. Bitzburger, in order to reach the
roof OF the car barns. had to drop three
feet and bridge the alley. IL Is thought
that after he broke the window he hune
down from the window ledge and swung
his feet outward until they came i'm con-
tact with the roof Of the barn.
Once on the barn roof II was like
matter of running down stairs to get
to the ground. From the roof he had
drop of about eight feee to the top OF
a pigeon coop and from this he leaped
into n truck that was standing In the
rear of the car barns Dennis McGowan
driver Of the truck. saw Bitzburger jump
into his truck, but he was so excited
and the movements of the prisoner were
so swift that no attempt was made at
pursuit Bltzburger ran across the yard
the truck was in, leaped over fence in
the rear of 341 West Fifty-third street
and thence to the street through an
alleyway between two buildings There
the trail ends.
Chaffee. II was later discovered. was
among the prisoners who had tried TO
overpower Anton. but he denied any in
tent at escape. IT was Chaffce who made
a statement following the arrest Of him
self fand Bitzburger admitting com
plicity in the Nrilltown robbery Anton
was suspended by Warden Mallen. Chat
fee was sent to tho Tombs.
Ferdinand A. David. Chief of Police OF
New Brunswick. N. j., who had asked
for the arrest OF f>BItzburger and Chaffee.
last night critisised the New York police
for failing TO take greater precautions
with Bitzburger. The Chief said he could
not understand why Bitzburger had been
placed in the West Side pison instead
OF the Tombs.