The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-12-07
(By Associated Press Leased wire.)

(By Associated Press Leased Wirel
Los Angeles, Cal. = Clara Phillips
climbed out of a window in the wom-
ans section of the county, Jail and IS
capped early today. She was under a
sentence of ten years to life imprison-
ment after conviction of the hammer
murder of Alberta Meadows. She was
held in the Jail pending formulation of
an appeal,
With the aid OF several steel saws,
her escape was effected at a. M, &C
cording to a report to the sheriff oy
the jailer. Belief was expressed that
she had been aided by other inmates.
Bars were sawed through and after
crawling out the window she dropped
to the roof of an adjoining building,
climbed down the fire escape and dis
appeared.
The escape was not discovered by
jail authorities for several hours. The
matron, in making rounds saw the bed
in Mrs. Phillips cell vacant, The
matron then discovered the sawed bars
and notified the jailer.
The former chorus girl, who three
weeks ago was found guilty of what
prosecuting officials declared to be one
of the most brutal murders they have
had to try, effected her liberty with
tragic suddenness equal to that
which the hammer Staying was reveal
ed last July. 1t is believed she es-
capped in an automobile.
Seek Madalynne Obenchain.
Close examination of the cell win
dow and the sawed bars failed to re-
veal any trace Of the saw filings. This
led to the opinion by investigators that
the bars may have been sawed through
several days prior to the escape to-
day.
Orders were issued by Sheriff Trae-
ger to bring into his Office all persons
connected with the hammer murder, in
order to trace all plans of the jail
breaking.
Mrs. Phillips' had several hours
start before the sheriff's office placed
drag net throughout southern Cal
ifornia. All southern California cities
have been notified and authorities at
the border warned in time, the sheriff
believes, to prevent the fugitive reach
ing Mexico.
Deputy sheriffs were sent today to
interview Madalynne Obenchain, re-
leased from Jail last night, after dis
missal of the case involving the charge
of murder Of j.. B. Kennedy. She o.
cupied an adjoining cell to Mrs. Phil
lips Officers also were dispatched to
interview Ola Weaver and Eta Jack
son, sisters of the escaped girl, and TO
locate if possible her husband, Armour
Phillips.
Three steel bars across the window
in Mrs. Phillips cell were found to be
neatly sawed through. There were evil
dences that she climbed through the
window and walked across the roof in
bare feet.
She was last seen at a. m. when
the matron entered the cell on the
round of examination of the women's
quarters, just before she retired for
the night. She said that all was quiet
at that time and the prisoner was an
parently asleep.
Convicted of Second Degree Murder.
Mrs. Phillips was convicted Of MUIR
der in the second degree on Novem-
Der 16.
Mrs. Meadows was slain July IL last
on a lonely drive in the outskirts of
Los Angeles where she had driven in
her own automobile with Mrs. Phil
lips and Mrs. Peggy Caffee, both ex-
chorus girls. Her head had been beat
en- in with hammer and large rock
had been hurled upon her body.
A defense of insanity was presented
for Mrs. Phillips but she also went on
the witness stand and said it was Mrs
Caffee who first struck Mrs. Meadows.
She declared that her own mind went
blank" after the first blow.
Two deputy sheriffs left today for
the Mexican border at Tia Juana. They
said they would cover the intervening
territory closely.
R. L. Couts, deputy sheriff on night
duty at the Jail, said that when he
went off duty at l a. m. he saw a closed
automobile standing at the curb near
the main Jail entrance but paid little
attention to it, thinking it had run out
of gasoline.
A deputy sheriff notified the sheriff's
office today that he saw woman re-
sembIing Clara Phillips and a man
answering the description of her hus-
band in an automobile at 10 o'clock
in the southwest residence section
about five miles from the Jail.
Deputy sheriffs reported that Phil
lips packed up all his belongings yes
terday and left the place where ne
had been stopping.