San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-14
MAN WANTED
IN OKLAHOMA
ESCAPES HERE
Thrilling Flight to Liberty
Made From U. S.
Building.
UNDER $500 BOND
Tom Rice, Wanted in Car
Case, Gains His
Freedom.
UNDER $500 BOND

Tom Rico under Indictment for the
alleged transportation Of stolen
automobile from Oklahoma City TO
San Antonio in violation of the inter
state commerce act, escaped while at
the federal building Saturday morn
ing where he was TO haze gone before
the court on aSwrit of hsbeas corpus
in an effort to have his bond reduced
from $500. the amount set by the
court.
Rice was on the third floor Of the
federal building when he made his
escape from whom, no one seems to
know. As he fled down the corridor.
he was seen by Deputy United States
Marshal Guy Walker who ran in pur-
suit. The prisoner leaped toward the
stair one flight ahead of the deputy.
He ran east on Houston street and
escaped from the deputy in the viein-
ity Of the Southern Pacific station.
Walker stated that he could not
| fire at Rice without endangering ped.
estrians and motorists. ~ =
The entire police and detective force
are searching the city for the fugitive.
1t is believed that he will attempt 10
make his escape into Mexico.
Reports In Conflict.
Conflicting accounts are current in
the federal building as to the manner
in which he escaped. Deputy Walker
stated that at the time OF the pris-
oner's escape he was not in his Gus
toby.
The prisoner was taken from the
county jail to the federal building by
Deputy Walker. During the morn
ing. he was engaged in conversation
with his attorney. Walker. il is re-
ported. entered the court room ana
asked Bailiff Law to show the at
torney, J. II. Let's. to the United
States district attorneys office on the
second floor. Bailiff Law maintains
that at no time did he know that
there was prisoner in the party.
Manner Of Escape Not Clear.
The bailiff escorted Mr.. Let's and
the prisoner TO the district attorney S
office. Bailiff Law then left the pris-
oner and his attorney in conversation
with an assistant United States at
torney. The assistant. accompanied
by the attorney and Tom Rice. re-
turned to the third floor of the Fed
eral building. Rice is supposed to
have made q dash when no one was
watching
Tom Rice and Alfred Jones were in
- ~. of g.
with the indictment returned against
them charging them with violation Of
the Dyer act. Their bonds were fixed
at $500 each.
Could Not Get Shot.
1.-THE prisoner was one flight ahead
of me as he leaped down the stairs
of the Federal building" Walker said.
AS l would come to the head of one
flight of stairs. ! could see him jump
ing down another flight behind the
elevator cage. As he ran east on
Houston toward the Southern Pacific
station. he would dodge back and
forth among the cars. l would have
shot at him If had been certain that
innocent by-standers would not suf-
fer" -. a
This is the second federal prisoner
in addition to one state prisoner who
has escaped from the Federal build
ing within the laTt few months. The
state prisoner posed ms a federal
prisoner and after having been dis
charged by the federal court after he
had entered plea of guilty to viola
ton of the national prohibition laws
walked out of the courtroom. He was
later unprecedented and sent TO the
A federal prisoner un.
der sentence for violation of the mar
cotic laws. slipped away from num-
Der of federal prisoners who were in
the Federal building. He has not been
retaken.