Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-12-06
Think Hammer" Muir
derer Stepped Over to
Mexico
TIPS FOUND FRU|TLESS
Husband of Woman Yet
Held Under Close
Guard
(By Associates Press)

Los Angeles, Dec. 6.-Search for
Mrs. Clara Phillips, convicted of beat
ing Mrs. Alberta Tremaine Meadows
to death with hammer and who es-
capped early yesterday from the Los
Angeles county Jail, was in active
progress today throughout Southern
California, the Mexican state.
Despite various other "tips" and
"clues," sheriff's deputies generally
held to the original belief that the
"hammer murderess" had fled across
the border into Mexico and plans
were made to extend the search to-
day for her as far south as EnZenda,
on the west coast of Lower Califor-
MIA peninsula, about nine miles south
of San Diego, CAL
Meantime the border between the
CALIFORNIA; from Tijuana, near San
Diego, to the Arizona line, and espe-
cially at CaleXico, Cal, and its Low
er California neighbor, Mexicali, was
being closely watched.
Armour Lee Phillips, the convicted
womans husband, upon whose story
of his movements the "a hours pre-
ceding his wife's escape, '"some
doubt" has been cast, according to
sheriff's deputies, still was in tech
nical custody early today.
! Although not placed n JAIL he was
in charge of Frank Dewar, deputy
sheriff, with whom he slept and with
whom he was to take his meals "un-
! til further notice." it was said.
The exact whereabouts of Mrs.
Peggy Caffee, former chum of Mrs.
Phillips when they were members of
chorus of the same musical comedy
company and later star witness for
the state at Mrs. Phillips trial, was
unknown to the authorities early to-
day They said they were interested
! in learning where she was merely be-
cause they wanted to be assured of
her safety.
This promise was not kept, how
ever, according to the officers, but
they expressed no fear for her safety.
Since the escape, the sheriff's Of
flee and the police have received
many reports that Mrs. Phillips had
been seen in various places. One of
the latest rumors, which at first was
regarded with extreme hope by Sher-
Tiff William 7. Tregor, came in a tel
ephone call from Long Beach.
1t was from a man who VIII hheld
his name, but gave what he said was
the street number of a house where
he said Mrs. Phillips was in hiding. A
posse headed by the sehriff rushed
to Long Beach, only to find there was
no such address.
Relatives of Mrs. Phillips express
ed surprise when informed of her es-
cape which, it was reported, was
, planned during a telephone conversa-
tion Monday afternoon, when she was
permitted to use a direct line from
the Jail without interference from
the authorities.
Later that night, IL was declared,
she feigned illness to assure herself
as much privacy rs possible in filing
through the bars of her cell window
with files smuggled to her in some
way. Mrs. Phillips occupied a cell
adjoining that of Mrs. Madalynne
0benchain, with whom she is said to
have become more or less intimate,
Mrs. Obenchain wa sreleased from
the jail Monday after the Indictment
charging her and Arthur c. Burch,
of Evanston, H., with the murder OF
her former sweetheart, ]. Belton
Kennedy, had been dismissed.