The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-12-05
MRS. CLARA
PHI. LIPS
ESCAPES
Hammer Murderer Saws Way
From Los Angeles
Jail
By WILLIAM G. cAYcE


BY WILLIAM C. CAYCE
! t5IAFF cORRESPoNDENT L. N seRvicEJ
LOS ANGELES. Calf. Dec. o.
Every possible avenue Of escape was
peing watched this afternoon as
all southern California Joined in
a gigantic woman hunt" for Clara
/ Fhil1ips. convicted Hammer MUIR
deress' of Alberta Meadows. who
made one of the most sensational
and daring escapes from Jail on re-
cord. here early today.
saving through the steel bars OF
the windows OF the womens de-
partment Of the county jail, the
Tiger" woman is believed to have
made her way across adjoining
buildings to a ladder. thence to the
street and a waiting automobile.
AID FROM OUTSIDE
Mrs Phillips was aided BY out
side persons who propped ladder
against the walls of an adjoining
building SO she could descend to
! the street
Deputy sheriffs were sent to take
into custody Armour L. Philips.
Mrs. Phillips husband and her two
sisters. Eta May and DIVA Weaver,
and Victoria Cross. her chorus girl
chum.
/ Sheriff Traeger ordered that Mrs.
/ Madalynne Obenchain. who was re-
leased from the county jail yes
terday, be located and questioned
I concerning her action since she left
the jail.
COMPLAINED OF ILLNESS
Mrs. Phillips is thought TO have
made her escape some time between
B. m. and a. m. this morning.
Last night. according to 1au attach
es. she complained of being i'll and
retired TO her cell early. request
ing that she be not disturbed. At
o'clock this morning Mrs. o. D.
Fisher. matron on duty. stopped at
the door of the cell occupied by
Mrs. Phillips. but noticed nothing
unusual When she made the naa5z
round OF the cells at o'clock to
summon the prisoners to breakfast,
Mrs. Fisher discovered Mrs. Phil
lips cell empty.
Three steel bars. each an inch
thick. had been sawed in two in
the window Of Mrs. Phillips cell
The bars were pulled from their
places leaving an opening OF about
two feet square. through which
Mrs. Phillips had crawled.
FEAT ALMOST MIRACLE
With extraordinary strength Mrs
Phillips apparently climbed up to
the top of the Jail building. four
stories above the ground.
4 Gordon OF polica and deputy
sheriffs was flung about the city
with lookouts on every possible
gateway out OF the city. Mrs
Phillips is believed to have had at
least an hours start on her pur-
su rs and several hours start on the
general alarm.
Information that Mrs. Phillips had
escaped was flashed to San Diego
and federal authorities at the Inter-
national border line at Tiajuana
were asked to ke7p a sharp lookout
for her in event she tried to get
across the line into Mexico. Also
cities in the interior OF California
were notified OF the fail break.
CLOSE WATCH MADE
Railroad stations. steamship docks
and stage offices were also being
closely watched.
Mrs Phillips cell was located in
the women's quarters at the extreme
east end of the top floor OF the
four story county Jail building and
overlooked a small court some sixty
feet below and ten faet wide.
AS the investigation OF how she
made her getaway proceeded 1t
was almost definitely decided by
putty sheriffs that Mrs. Phillips
did not leave her cell by the door
but escaped by sliding down a rope
or drain pipe near her cell window.
The theory was also advanced that
after saving the bars of her cell
window, sha walked on a narrow
plank. stretched from her cell win
dow across the court to a nearby
building.
DROPS 20 FEET
Mrs Phillips is then thought to
have dropped from the roof OF the
Jail to an adjoining building. a de-
scent OF 20 feet. by sliding down
a water drain pipe From the roof
of the building next to the jail.
which is three stories from the
ground. she is thought to have
descended to an alleyway on lad
ders placed against the wall by the
person or persons who assisted her
in her dash for freedom.
Mrs. Phillips was barefooted when
she escaped. as her toe prints were
found in the dirt on the roof of the
building.
In the adjoining cell TO Mrs. Phil
lips was a negress named Alma
Smith, who declared she did not
hear Mrs. Phillips leave her cell.
The cell on the other sid Of the one
occupied by Mrs. Phillips was en-
PITY. having been deserted by Mrs.
Madalynn Obenchain late yesterday
afternoon.
WAS SCANTILY ATTIRED
Mrs. Phillips was scantily attired
in a dark suit when she lift the Jail
leaving behind her now-famous
Biege suit and hat She also left /
several other articles of clothing
behind in her cell.
The climb OF Mrs. Phillips from
her cell window to the top Of the
jail building was declared to have
been an acrobatic feat in itself, and
a test Of human strength. Had
her grip on the side OF the build
ing once slipped she would have