Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1922-12-06
CALIFORNIA
MURDERESS
IN''HAMMER"
CASE FLEES

~ haAHFtNAfl tffNA
los ANGELES. dee 5.-irmour
T.. Phillips. whose wife. Clara Phil.
lips. convicted murderess. ESCAPED
from the Los Angeles county Jail
last night. appeared at the office
~ her attorney today and sent
word to the sherifi's office he
was ready to bc interviewed
about the escape. The escape of
Mrs. I1dllips. under sentence 10
serve from ten years 10 life Ia the
state pcnitentiary for the murder of
Mrs. Alberta Meadows. rrmpincd
unknown more than siN hours. Mrs.
Mrs. Phillips was aided by three or
four persons outside the Jail.
Three Bars sawed
The steel bars guarding the window
in her cell were sawed through from the
inside. Then a square Of heavy mesh
netting was cut out and through tho
two.foot opening thus formed the young
woman climbed and made her way over
adjacent roofs Of other parts Of the jail.
down through trap door and out whcto
an automobile awaited her.
Investigation at the jail Indicated that
AT least three persons had aided tho
woman. Her quarters were on tho third
floor Of the old Jail building and she oc.
cupied tank cell ovorlookipr q roof
Of an auxiliary structure, a story low.
cr Foot prints and other marks on the
roof led the deputies who investigates
that angle of the escape 10 announce
their belief that az least two persons
aided her on the roof and that one ar
two morr waited them In an automobile
at the street level.
Section Well Lighted.
The Los Angeles county Jail stands
IN the main business section ~ the city.
There are always jailcrs and matruua
ON duty and glare of street lamps sur.
round a.
Phillips later made statement ia
which hc said hc knew nothing about
the escape or where his wife had gone.
lie gave a detailed ace-unt of hts move.
mruts for the past - hours.
The sheriff announced that mum
l"r Of persons who were connected with
the trial ~ Mrs. Phillips would b. sought
o. throw wha; light they could on tho
escape and Harry Karst defense wit.
ness was the FIRST to appear at tho shcr.
iffs office
karst told tho officers that at Armour
Phillips request he had picked M ycs.
t'rdN ~ the home of Mrs Phiuips'
sister and had brought him down town
and l.ft him at a garage lie said hl
had not seen Phillips since.
Had OVerhauled Auto.
Investigation also showed that Phil.
lps was the owner of an automobile ot
the coupe style and that be- had recent.
u had % completely ovcrhlul.d mo.
chanic,lly and painted Search was be-
Ing made for this Car. n did not carry
IN" license number which was assigned
hy investigators to tho car that was
believed to have awaited Mrs Phillips
~ The moment Of escape
The matron on duty ~ the timc ~
the escape was Mrs l. y Fisher. long
member of the Jail staff she said
she had visited Mrs Phillips On her cell
at about $50 last night found her in
bed and complaining OF illness Mrs.
FISHER said she then returned 20 the
matrons quarters about twenty hva
Feet from the door ~ Mrs Phillips cell.
Sh" said during the night she heard
nothing unusual Women assigned 10
cells have their breakfast in their cells.
Mrs Phillips breakfast was put iu \
shelf in her door as usual Later the
evils were unlocked and when Mrs.
Fisher noticed that Mrs Phillips had
CONTINUED ~ PAGE TWOl