The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-29
NEBRASKA JAIL
BIRD ARRESTED
Nv|oLAfARM
Indlscret3ea On Part Of Sweetheart
leads to Discovery u Nan
Wanted,
(special to The Argus.)

Aledo, Ill. April 2s.-Elmer FL
bridge, alias Jack Lake, who. es-
capped from the Grand Island. Neb.,
jail. April I. was arrested yester-
day on the Lloyd farm. six miles
northeast Of Viola by Sheriff John
P. Fleming on Information supplied
by the authorities of Grand Is
land and on a local tip that "a
stranger was working on the Lloyd
farm"
Eldridge's career as a farm hand
was brought to a sudden end as
the direct result Of an indiscretion
on the part of his sweetheart in
Grand Island, Neb. Apparently
having heard from Eldridge, she
prepared q bundle Of clothes for
him which she sent by express to
Viola from Grand Island. The
Grand Island authorities learned of
it. and accordingly notified Sher-
III Fleming. Sheriff Fleming had
been reaching for Eldridge for
three weeks before he received the
tip that resulted in the arrest yes
terday.
According to the report from
Grand Island. Eldridge, as a trus-
ty in the Jail. pending his trial on
the charge Of stealing automobiles,
escaped April 1, two other inmates
getting away at the same time, one
Of whom was caught soon after
ward. The third one is still at
large.
Paints Lurid Story Of Life.
Eldridge's story Of his life dur
ing the past few years, which he
blames for his present predica.
ment, is fanciful one. Twenty
seven years old, he claims he is
! the son of q wealthy land owner
and lists 900 acres of Nebraska
land as among the possessions OF
his rich father. According to Ell
bridges story, he was drafted into
the army in 1918, and that on leav.
ing for service he left the neat sum
Of $4,000 with his wife for the
support Of herself and her mother
When he returned, the story goes
he found his wife and mother-in.
law, but none of the $4,000. They
had squandered it all, he says.
1 No. IL Gets Him.
Embittered by his wife's pool
management, he decided upon {
career Of crime and started out
Selecting as his specially in crime
careering. that Of stealing auto
mobiles. he began. Apparently h.
met with instant success, but no
without overcoming some obsta
Giles. for. while he states that h,
had as many as 13 stolen automo
blles in his possession at one time
he was also frequently arrested
But. as he announces with som,
gusto, the authorities did not sue
coed in convicting him until hi
18th arrest. He was then sent {,
Lincoln, Neb., penitentiary, wher,
he screwed Is months, durin,
which be had some time for re
Election. 1t must have been the]
| that he decided on the alias O
} Jack Lake, for, having noticed tina
/ the No. Is was getting a bit to,
, permiscuous with him he prob
, ably considered it a good idea t,
| discard the name Of Elmer FL
, bridge. which happened to DOS
/ sess the unlucky number of /:
> letters.
Resumes Operations.
Resum1ng his story, he tells hov
he lost no time. when freed from
the Lincoln prison after havin,
served his term. in renewing hi
practice of taking other people,
automobiles. Again he found bus
mess good, he says. but despite tn
fact he had changed his name an,
everything. they got him again
and landed him in the county TAI
at Grand Island, Neb.. for hayin,
taken somebody or others car a
Greeley, Colo. One can't steal an
tomobiles in Jail. and one must d,
something while awaiting tritl, an,
so. the story goes. he becomes
trusty. 1t was while "trustyinp
that he managed to slip out Of tn,
Grand Island Jail. and journe,
forth to Viola, and in some name
hire out on the LLOYD farm, 81,
miles northwest Of town.
Hes Going Back.
In the meantime, Eldridge Is be
ing held in the county Jail at Aled
by Sheriff Fleming. who expect
the sheriff to arrive from Gran,
Island in a few days to take tn
prisoner back to his native haunts
Eldridge consented to waive extra
ditfon