The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-12-03

i
convicted OF a double murder ana
sentenced TO serve % years at Joliet
penitentiary, was captured yesterday
afternoon In a soft drink parlor on
Pennsvlvania avenue, Indiana Haroor'
by Sergeant 1fakar OF the East chi
cago police department.
CAPTURE OF CONVICT.
a telephone tip about l yesterday
afternoon. from an unknown source
told where the police might hnd
fugitive from justice. The call was
answered by Sergeant Makar VINO
found Joseph Todd. a man answering
the description of police and Bertillon
records as an escaped convict from
the Illinois state penitentiary- Nhen
placed under arrest at the saloon. the
convict pretended that the AFFAIR was
q Joke, concealing his Identity ana
giving his name as John BARGE. After
q strenuous gr1lling all doubt In the
officers mind as to the prisoner
identity was dfspelled. His answers
came in monosyllables. He stutter-
tngly avoided questions. He was
nervous. and finally una BILE to control
himself longer blurted out: DO you
believe In a God. IN humanity in JUS
tice and have you 10 mercy?' TO
these questions Sergeant Makar re-
piled that he was performing his duty
and had no Intentions of allowing a
prisoner. TO escape.
ATTEMPTS ESCAPE FROM JAIL.
The convict had not been in the East
Chicago Jail more than ten minutes
until ne was caught cutting his ' %y
through the walls of the cell BY
bent rusty tin can left lying in the
ell the desperate man had made
tool with which he tore the plaster
from the wall With this device he
had cut into the first layer of the
n san wall and was making good
efyway of escape when caught in
the act Adheriug to Safety First"
s. geant Nskar had the prisoner plac-
ed in an individual cell.
THE CoNvICT's ESCAPE.
Peering thr ugh the bars of his cell.
Joseph Todd. convicted of numbering
one white man and negro in Chica-
20 feud in 1918 and sentenced TO serve
2s years at Joliet penitentiary, told his
story. L am an innocent man. I
never killed anyone. The whole thing
was frameup to save the guilty and
was made the goat But without
q dime I haven't a chance in the world
70 ever get Justice. My borther-in-
law turned state evidence in the Chi
cago courts that convicted me-what
can 7 do?'
REFUSED TO DISCUSS ESCAPE
The weatherwise chap with drawn
face interrupted hts story by an occa-
sional cough that had with 1t SYMPTOMS
OF T. B. I have already served three
years and two months of my sentence
and now ! viii be returned WITHIN
those cold dark grey walls TO live my
life" The convict refused to discuss
his escape from the penitentiary.
IN EAST CHICAGO TWO MONTHS.
Todd claimed that he came to East
Chicago about two months ago and
secured a job as night laborer at the
General American Tank Car Corpora
tion plant. Perfectly satisfied with
the city, the prisoner said that he had
located at 1856 Guthrie street. intend
Ing TO bring his wife and baby to his
Indiana Harbor home as a. permanent
resident.
OFFICERS FROM PESITESTIARY.
Imediately upon the arrest of Joseph
Todd. Sergeant Maka- wired the Joliet
penitentiary for disposition Of prison
err An answer by long distance tele-
phone Informed the sergeant to hold
Todd that officers from the state
prison would be in East Chicago today
to claim the escaped convict.