The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-05-30
,~Franneup," % /"
Says Clara
ON Return
Mrs. Phillips, Convicted as
Hammer Murderess, Lays
Crime al Door of Chief
Witness, Peggy Caffee.
Return Was Voluntary
Ey Assnciated Press.

New Orleans. La. May %
Clara Phillips, who escaped from jail
in Los Angeles last December after
her conviction of the murder of Mrs.
ALBERTA Meadows, returned to this
country from Honduras in the Gus
tody of California officers and to-
night was resting in the New Orleans
parish house of detention prepara tory
10 starting tomorrow on her long
journey to the Pacific coast.
The former Waco. Tex) girl, who
stepped from the liner Gopan, was not
the Clara Phillips Orleanians had ex'
pected to see. They were prepared
for a woman desperate over her re-
CAPTURE. after one of the most sensa.
tionai escapes ever accomplished in
this country Inst0d. she seemed TO
be in buoyant spirits and lost little
time in telling newspapermen that
shesbvas returning home voluntarily
70 Establish her innocence and that
she was confident this end would
be accomplished.
Attired BecOmingiy.
Mrs. Phillips, attired in brown
crepe de chine dress and becoming
hat 10 match. vas on deck as the
Copan drew into her pier, surround
ed by her sister. Miss Eta May Jack
son; Under Sheriff Eugene Biscai-
luz of Los Angeles. Mrs. Biseailuz and
Deputy Walter Hunter. She looked
at the hundreds of curiosity seekers
on the pier apparently with little III
terest, and when newspaper men and
photographers boarded the vessel
with the customs officials, did not
hesitate to pose for innumerable
photographs She WAS Immediately
subjected to a barrage of questions.
but Mr.. Biscailuz and Superintendent
Moloney Of the local police depart
ment ended the Interrogation by an
nouncing that she Would be permit
ted to receive reporters at police
headquarters. Mrs. Phillips did not
make the Journey from the pier to
Headquarters in police patrol. In.
stead, Superintendent Moloney placed
his personal car at the disposal of
The prisoner talked freely with re-
porters but was careful not to say
anything that might tend to hamper
her fight for freedom. At~the time
.,s.-s.-sr escape. she was in jail pend.
ing the outcome Of an appeal after
she had received sentence of 10 years
to life imprisonment. Mrs. Meadows
was beaten to death with a hammer
and Mrs. Phillips was convicted large
" on the evidence of Miss Peggy
Caffee.
Alleges Peggy is Slayer.
In stating that she WAS returning
home voluntarily to fight for her
name, honor and freedom in the
right way" Mrs. Phillips was en-.
phatic In asserting her innocence and
equally emphatic in her statement that
Peggy Caffee was the slayer of Mrs.
Meadows. She said that had she told
all of her story at her trial she would
have been acquitted. She maintained
silence on the advice Of her attorney,
however. she said. and as a result the
only side, that of the prosecution,
was told She charged that her con
viction was a 'frame.up" and that
she had obtained sufficient new evi.
dence to prove it. Asked if men or
women were implicated, she declined
to answer.
The new evidence. she said. was
obtained during the five weeks she
remained In and about Los Angeles
after her escape from prison. She
donned a pair of shell trimmed spec.
tacles, she said. and went upon the
streets on numerous occasions, while
police were searching for her from
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