The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-12-15
LUCKY TOM" FIGHTS
WAY TO LIBERTY
NOTED CRIMINALS ESCAPE
FROM CHICAGO JAIL IN
BROAD DAYLIGHT.

Tommy O'Connor, two-gunman,
sentenced to be hanged in Chicago,
today for murder, and two other no
torious criminals Sunday escaped
from the county Jail, fighting their
way past half a dozen guads, most
of whom were beaten into uncon-
sciousness by the desperadoes in their
dash for liberty.
Starting in the fourth floor "bull
pen," where the prisoners were ex-
ercising, at II o'clock Sunday morn
ing, the break for freedom led down
five floors, through the basement,
into the Jail yard and over twelve
foot wall, where an automobile was
confscated. The driver, pistol.
poked into his. face, was told to
"drive like hell"
A few minutes later the machine
crashed into a telephone pole, but the
bandits continued their fight. O'Con-
Tor commandeered another car and,
when last seen, the murderer, who has
been characterized by the police as
Chicago's most desperate gunman,
was headed toward the South Side
underworld, armed for battle. Two
other prisoners who attempted to es-
cape with the trio were captured in
the Jail grounds.
The escape, carried out in broad
daylight, was the most sensational
in that part of the country in many
years, and apparently was carefully
planned in advance. It was success
full despite the fact that several jail
ers refused to heed the threat Of
O'Connor's pistol and rfslsed their
lives in trying to obstruct his dash
for liberty.
The two men VINO escaped with
O,Connor were Edward Darraw,
charged with $4,000 robbery, and
James La Porte, alleged to have
been implicated in a $4,000 robbery.
O'Connor had been in trouble with
the police on many occasions, but
his apparent immunity from convie-,
ton earned him the title of Lucky
Tommy"
Last spring half a dozen detee-
tives went to O'Connor's house to
question him about crime. While
, they were there Policeman Patrick
O'Neill was shot to death, and O'Con-
nor, later convicted of the murder,
escaped despite the presence Of half
a dozen officers, most Of whom were
suspended for their apparent negli-
gence.
? After several weeks Tommys pro-
verbal luck failed, for he was cap
tured in St. Paul, Minn., brought
bach to Chicago, convicted and sent
enced to hang.
Seventy-fve prisoners were exer-
: cising in the "bull pen" when O'Con-
nor and his pals made their break.
Davis Strauss was the only gaurd
in the room at the time. One of the
men, according to Strauss, suddenly
whispered something to OConnor.
Five prisoners in the jail-break jump
ed Strauss, O'Connor drawing a re-
volver which had been smuggied to
him. A sack was placed over Strauss
head and he was beaten into un-
consciousness. O'Connor repeatedly
brought down the butt of the pistol
on the guards head.
The five men dashed for the
freight elevator, but ran into an as
sistant jailer. Pointing the pistol at
him, O'Connor shouted:
"Stand back, or I'1l blew you to
hellw'
The jailer sprang at O'Cosnor, but
the criminal hurled him 70 the feor
and continued his fight.
Down to the basement, past two
more guards, the bandits fed, and
then started to scale the twelve-foot
wall surrounding the Jail.
Here two of the prisoners tripped
and were captured at the foot of
the wall, but O'Connor and the other
two got over safely.
Scores of policemen, armed with
shotguns, were placed on the muir
derer's trail, and to each Of them
Chief Fitzmorris gave these iRstsuc-
tions:
"The only way to get rid Of sAur-
derers like O'Conner is 10 put them
in the morgue. Shoot 10 MI and
aim straight"
Charleston High School Hlsven COW