Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1921-12-12
Sensational Jail
Break in Chicago
Three Notorious Criminals
Fought Their Way Past
Half a Dozen Guards-One
a Murderer.

Chicago, Dec IL fBy the A. P).-l
be hanged next Thursday for the murder
of policeman, and two other notorious
criminals today escaped from the county
jail, fighting their way past half dozen
guards most of whom were beaten into
Inconsistencies by the desperadoes in
their dash for liberty.
Starting in the fourth floor bull pen,"
where the prisoners were exercising at II
o'clock this morning, the break for free
dom led down five floors. through the
basement. into the jail yard and over
twelve foot wall to a street, where an
automobile was commandeered. The
driver a pistol poked into his face, was
told to drive like hell.
few minutes later the machine crash
ed into telephone pole but the bandits
continued their fight. O'Connor COM
mandeered another car and when last
seen the murderer, who has been char
acterized by the police as Chicago's most
desperate gunman. was headed toward
the South Side underworld, armed for
battle. Two other prisoners who at
tempted to escape with the trio were
capturde in the jail grounds.
The escape, carried out in broad day.
light, was the most sensational in this
part of the country in many years, and
| apparently was carefully planned in ad-
vance. 1t was successful despite tho tact
that several jailers refused to heed the
| threat of O'Connor's pistol and risked
| their lives in trying to obstruct his dash
| for liberty.
| The two men who escaped with O'Con-
nor were Edward Darrow. charged with
| robbery, and James Laporte, alleged to
! have been Implicated in a 0,0o0 rob-
| berry. O'Connor has been in trouble with
| the police on many occasions. but his APP
| parent immunity from conviction earned
him the title of Lucky Tommy"
| Last spring half dozen detectives
| went to OConnors house to question him
about crime. While they were there
| Policeman Patrick O'Neill was shot to
death, and O'Connor, later convicted of
| the murder, escaped despite the presence
of half dozen officers, most of whom
were suspended for their apparent negli-
gence.
After several weeks Tommy's proverb-
ial luck failed, for he was captured in
st. Paul. Mimi. brought back here, con.
| victed and sentenced to hang.
| Seventy-fiye prisoners We're exercising
in the bull pen when O'Connor and his
pals made their break. David Straus.
was the only guard in the room at tn,
time.
One of the men, according to Strauss
suddenly whispered something to O'Con
nor. The five prisoners in the breal
simultaneously jumped on Strauss. O'Con
nor drawing a revolver which had beel
smuggled TO lin. A SICK was place.
over Strauss head and he was beatel
into Inconsistencies. O'Connor repeated
ly brought down the butt of the pistol o
the guards head.
Hearing the commotion, two othe
guards rushed into the bull pen. O'Con
nor ordered them to throw up their hand
but they refused, and sprang forward
Apparently afraid that the sound @
:, shooting would bring so many guard
that escape would be impossible, O'Con
nor did not fire. The guards were beat
en- into Inconsistencies.
,, One of the guards 'h>l the keys to tn
/ Jail. and these were taken from him.
The five men dashed for the freigh
elevator but ran into an assistant jaile
Pointing the revolver at him, O'Connc
shouted: Stand back, or I'll blow yo
{ to hell
The jailer sprang at O'Connor, but tn
criminal hurled him to the floor and COZ
/ tinued his fight
Down to the basement, past two MOI
guards, the bandits fed, and then star
| ed to scale the twelve foot wall SUI
o rounding the jail. Here two of the pri,
Y oners tripped and were captured at tt
foot of the wall. but O'Connor and tt
o other two got over safely.
Robert Grove. states attorney, INN,
diately began a personal investigation ,
O'Connor's escape, and Chief of polio
' Charles Fitzmorris assumed persons
I charge of the case. Scores of policeme
+ armed with shotguns, were placed on Il
n murderers trail. and to each of the
s Chief FitZmorris gave these instruction.
"The only way to get rid of murdere
like O'Connor is to put them in IL
a morgue. Shoot to kill. and aim straight
s. The supreme court recently refused :,
5, reprieve O'Connor and a few days a.
n held that it had no Jurisdiction to ord
It a stay of execution pending an appeal
federal courts.
O'Connor was IN court yesterday ov
: certain legal manners and it is believ,
n that the escape may have been plann,
l. | then.
If O'Connor is captured before ne
n Thursday, his execution would tai
place as schedule, according to SEQ
Stewart, assistant states attorney.
y ne is captured after that time, the cou
81 would be compelled to fix another da
: for hanging. Mr.. Stewart said.
N Chief of Police Fitznorris in a stat
a ment tonight said:
Conditions at the county jail are a
palling. 1t may be true that O'Conn
ie slugged a couple of guards, but 1 say
"a "a was showed out of the county Jail
~ was pushed out. They furnished h
~ u, with veerything he needed with the pC
~ sible exceptio tof a road map"