Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-12-05
BARS0F CELL
CUT AWAY With
STE FL SAWS
Celebrated priSoned Gone Ho1~5
Before Getaway Was
Discovered
WOMAN HAD AID IN ESCAss9.
Was Under Sentence OF Ten
Years Serv;tude To Life
imprisonment
WOMAN HAD AID IN EsCAPE

LOS ANGELES, Dec. S.
Clara Phillips climbed out a WIN
dow in the woman's section of the
county jail here and escaPer
carly this morning.
Tie woman, who was under
sentence of 10 years to life inn
prisonment after conviction for
the hammer murder" of Mrs
Alberta Meadows, was being
held in jail pending outcome of
her appeal to the higher courts.
Several steel saws were used 10
cut away the bars of the PhilIiP5
woman's cell and jail authorities
express the belief that she was
aided in her escape by other in
mates of the prison.
The escape was not discovered
until Mrs. Phillips had been gone
eeveral hours, the matron finding
the sawed bars through which she
emerged to freedom.
Mrs. Meadows, victim of tho
Phillips woman, was accused by
her of being intimate with her
husband. First information cen-
cerning the murder was given the
police by Phillips, after he lad
advised his wife to flee and had
aided her to escape. She WAS
later arrested in Arizona and
brought back to California for
trial. .a
Mrs. Meadows, who was killed by
Mrs. Phillips was, prior to the muir
der, a close friend, the two women
having been associates upon the stage
during several years. Both were
actresses, and their professional as
sociation in "The Follies" is alleged
to have resulted in clandestine love
affair between Phillips and Mrs.
Meadows.
On the day Of the murder, Mrs Phil,
lips drove in her car to the home Of
Peggy Caffee, another actress who
had played with Mrs Meadows and
herself in "The Folies." Taking her
into the car, Mrs Phillips drove 10
the home of her victim, and there
invited Mrs. Meadows to go with
her and the Caffee woman for ride
into the country. This was the last
seen of Mrs. Meadows until her
body, terribly beaten and bruised,
was found day later at a lonely
point in the woods. near Los
Angeles.
Mrs. Phillips disappeared, hut tho
authorities almost Immediately SUI.
pected her Of the murder, although
her husband was first taken inIo Gus,
today. Upon the statement Of PecK4
Catfee that she had witnessed tha
murder. and that Phillips was 10
connected with it in any way, he
was released. The arrest Of ClaY1
Phillips followed quickly, and he was
tried and convicted only few weeks
| ago.
Peggy Caffec testified at the trial
that Clara Phillips, after driving to
the scene Of the murder, immediately
accused Mrs. Meadows of being too
friendly with Phillips, striking her
/ over the head with a hammer at the
same instant. q This was but the be-
ginning of steady rain of blows
the Phillips woman rained upon her
detenseless victim. Leaving Mrs.
Meadows senseless and bleeding upon
the roadside, Mrs Caffee told the
court, Clara Phillips drove back into
Los Angeles, without apparent re-
! morse for her crime. In order not
to stain the wheel of the automobiie
Mrs. Phillips denied being responsi-
according to Mrs. Caffee, but not
once did she express regret for her
action, saying she slew Mrs. Mca-
dows out of revenge. At her trial
Mrss. Phillips denied being RESPONSE
BILE for Mrs. Meadows death.