The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1922-12-08
MRS. CLARA PHILLIPS
ESCAPES FROM JAIL
Sentenced For Murder, Wo-
man Saws Way To
Freedom.

Los Angeles, Dec. 5.-Armour l..
Phillips, whose wife, Clara Phillips,
convicted murdress. escaped from
the Los Angeles county Jail last
night, appear ed at the office of her
attorney late today and sent word to
the sheriffs office he was ready to
be interviewed about the escape.
Phillips later made statement
in which he said he knew nothing
about the escape OF where his wife
had gone. He gave a detailed ac-
count of his moyaments Tor lae past
twenty-four hours.
Mrs. Clara Phillips was under sem
tence to serve from tel years ~ life
in the state penileEtiasy for the
murder of Mrs. Alb.s-t Meadows.
Her escape was so well planned and
executed that it remained unknown
for more than six hours.
Bars Sawed Out.
Three steel bars guarding the win
dow in her cell were sawed through
from the inside. Then square of
heavy mesh netting was cut out, and
thru the opening thus formed the
woman made her way out and over
adjacent roofs of other parts of the
Jail, down thru a trap door and out
to where liberty and an automobile
awaited her.
The sheriff dispatched deputies to
all ports along the western portion
of the northern boundary of Mexi-
co. He also had all depots and the
main roads out of Southern Califor-
mia guarded, telegraphed descrip-
tions of the woman and her husband
to nearby peace officers and person
ally led a search of those places to
which it was believed the woman
might have fled.
Investigation at the jsil indicated
that at least three persons had aid
ed the woman. Her quarters
were on the third floor of the old
Jail building and she occupied
tank cell overlooking a roof of an
auxiliary structure, a story CLOVER.
Footprints and other marks on this
roof led the deputies who investigat-
ed that angle of the escape to an
nounce their belief that at least two
persons aided her on the roof and
that one or two more awaited them
in an automobile at the street level.
The Los Angeles county Jail stands
in the main business section of the
city. 1t iS within block of the fed
eral building where postal actiyi-
ties are continuous. Street cars pass
along one side and evsn in the quiet
hours of the night vehicle traffic is
quite heavy. There are always Jail
ers and matrons on duty and glare
of street lamps surrounds it.
Discovery Delayed.
The sheriff announced that num-
der Of persons who were connected
with the trial of Mrs. Phillips would
be sought to throw what light they
could on the escape.
The matron on duty at the time
of the escape was Mrs. l.. ID. Fisher,
long a member of the jail stan. She
said she visited Mrs. Phillips in her
cell at about $3.50 last night. and
found her in bed and complaining OF
ILLNESS. Mrs. Fisher said she re-
turned to the matron's quarters
about twenty-five feet from the door
of Mrs. Phillips. cell. She said dur
ing the night she heard nothing I'M
usual.
Mrs. Fisher said she knocked on
all the cell doors at $3.50 this morn
ing and then awoke the women in
the dormitory. Women assigned to
cells have their breakfast in their
cells. Mrs. Phillips breakfast was
put in a shelf in her door as usual.
Later the cells were unlocked and
when Mrs. Fisher noticed that Mrs.
Phillips had not appeared she asked
other prisoners concerning her and
they said she was around some
place." Still unable to locate her,
the matron resumed her routine
work and then. she said, woman
who occupied cell adjoining that
of Mrs. Phillips told her that Mrs.
Phillips had escaped.
Cells in the women's ward have
inside curtains. Curtains to Mrs.
Phillips cell were down and this de-
layed discovery OF the escane.