The New York herald., 1922-12-07
Authorities Admit Her Flight
Has Left Them Without
a Clew.
NOW SOUGHT IN DESERT
Sportsman, Ex Prisoner at
Jail, Questioned as Possible
Ally in Escape.

Los ANGELES, Dec. Ed I. john
son, sportsman, was questioned to-day
ut the Los Angeles Sheriff's office in
connection with the escape OF Mrs.
Clara Phillips, the hammer murderess.
from the county Jail Monday night.
He denied knowledge Of the escape.
Johnson was a prisoner in the Jail
last summer when Mrs. Phillips was
arrested for Staying Mrs. Alberta
Meadows. According to deputies, he
became acquainted with Mrs. Phillips
and aided her in obtaining counsel
but. was said not to have been in COM
munication with her recently.
Sheriff Traeger and his assistants said
they seemed no nearer to capturing the
missing woman. They continued In the
into Mexico.
Hushn xd Is AbsOIved.
Armour l.. Phillips. husband of the
fugitive, who was detained at the
Sheriffs office all day. was told late In
the afternoon he need remain no longer
deputies. Phillips said he had no idea
where his wife could be. but hoped she
was In good hands and would not be
caught.
Deputy sheriffs searching for Mrs.
Phillips found Mrs. Peggy Caffee,
through whose testimony Mrs. Phillips
vas convicted, at Long Beach to-day.
Mrs. Caffee disappeared from her home
at the time of Mrs. Phillips's escape
from Jail.
Il believe saw Mrs. Phillips on the
streets Of Long Beach at noon yester-
day." she SAID.
There were automobile tire tracks
outside the Jail and similar ones near
Mrs Caffee's home yesterday. This led
the Sheriff to search for Mrs. Canee
IN the belief that Mrs Phillips had gone
to her home for revenge. Others
charged that Mrs. Caffee had turned
remorseful and had aided her former
friend to escape.
Meanwhile the search for Clara Phil
lips had spread to-day throush the
State and the cooperation of the Mexi-
can authorities had been promised.
May Have Fled I'm Plane.
The theory that Mrs. Phillips had
escaped by aiiplane gained strength
to-day through the receipt of reports
that two machines had been seen flying
across the San Diego Mountains INTO
Mexico. The authorities considered It
possible that Mrs. Phillips was in one
The belief is sustained, however, that
the hammer murderess has fled to the
desert. A garage man gave tip con-
cerning man and woman, VINO kept
her face hidden in Il newspaper, who
drove up hurriedly to his place yester-
day, and asked for desert tires.
The road from san Diego to Tia
Juana Is also being closely watched.
Tia Juana is just over the line. There
10 only one highway leading to 1.-THE
Road to Hell' as 1t was dubbed when
Tia Juana was flourishing gambling
and drinking place.
There Is hardly any chance of the
hunted woman getting across the line
IL she strays from these roads, for vast
areas OF trackless land. waterless.
mountainous and impassable for an
automobile. intervene. The Calexico
police are using an airplane In their
pa troll of the border.
Mrs. Phillips, In the belief of the
authorities, is being helped along by
an underground railway" system. She
NAV remani two or three days In one
of the towns between Los Angeles and
the border to give the pursuit time to
cool.
Mrs. Madalynne Obenchain, who was
released from the prison just before
Mrs. Phillips escaped. gave her the
dainty curtain which she hung over the
bars. thus concealing her operations
with the saw Sheriff Traeger ques-
toned Mrs Obenchain for hours and
then said he believed she had nothing
TO do with II. However. she was Kept
under surveillance.