The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-31
CROWDS GREET
CLARAAT HER
OLD HOME
Hammer Murderess" Says
She Has Been Always True
to Her Husband.
BY B. v. STURDIVANT,
international News Service.


LIMITED, EN- ROUTE TO SAN
FRA NCISC FROM NEW
ORLEANS, May 31.-Declaring
that her sensational escape from
the Los Angeles county Jail on
December 2, last, was not done
of her own accord, Clara Phil
lips, hammer murderess," now
speeding Westward to face life
Imprisonment in San Quentin
penitentiary, today told Inter-
national News Service that her
plea for a new trial will be built
around this startling statement.
Couldn't Control Flight.
The escaped and re-captured tiger
woman" said that her long flight
was made because of circumstances
over which she had no control, ana
not necessarily because OF her de-
sire for freedom.
"Since my capture in Tegucigalpa
1 have promised the world a sensa-
ton, which will be the means OF
establishing my freedom. she
added. "A great part of that state
ment will tell exactly why l climbed
to freedom through those bars,
sawed by Jesse Carsen, with whom
1 made my flight"
Mrs. Phillips refused to divulge
anything further than this. She
said that her attorneys will meet
the train in Los Angeles and
plans will be made then to reveal
the entire story.
"'And if there is such a thing as
justice" she added, II will be
free woman"
Armour Phillips, her husband, left
Houston last night to board the
train at Beaumont. but failed to
make his. appearance. Love tele-
grams of the most endearing kind
have been exchanged between the
two since her arrival in the United
States, and he promised to meet her
at some point before she reached
her grim prison cell.
do 1 love lim?" she decla~ad in
answer to question. "He is my
all. 1 love him with a devotion
that is as true and sincere as that
of any woman and il is mutual.
Even If stone walls do separate us,
tune"
With a scornful look and flashing
eyes, she declared that she detested
Carsen and had never been the
least attracted to him.
What If did flee for freedom
after he made my escape possible?
That too, will be cleared up when i
make that promised revelation. Al
though he passed me as his wife
wherever we went, l was always
true to Armour n ss#
Financed Own Trip.
When told that the world was
asking in a rather censoring way
where she received the money to
finance her long flight. the woman
killer" replied that very little was
spent, and that was her savings
and what Carsen obtained by pawn
ing her jewelry. She stoutly denied
that ring financed the trip a nd
stated that she was at her row
end when American officials apDre.
hended her.
II don't know what we would have
done. as Carsen could have never
provided cent. He was continually
drunk and used all he could scrape
NS5ONbACA AOA AAAAOIs II 1S UclIST lHdL
I returned-that is if they give me
a new trial. 1t would have cost the
honor of both my sister and myself
had we remained in duress.''
Every town and city that the train
passed through furnished a crowd
of curious people, all anxious to get
a glimpse at Clara Phillips Few
national celebrities received a more
hearty welcome than did the tiger
woman" in Houston. \
Crowds Greet Train.
When the train came to a stop
hundreds of persons surrounded the
car with cries of Hello, Clara. We're
for you. Keep a stiff upper lip,
Clara, Texas is back of you"
Her husbands mother and a
brother then came rushing through
the crowd to talk with their Clara,
closely guarded to prevent a sus-
pected break for liberty. After loud
cries and demands from the mob.
the mother-in-law and brother were
permitted to enter the compartment
and exchange embraces with the
murderess.
Houston was Mrs. Phillips former
home. After ten minutes of con-
fusion, with the crowd showing des-
perately to get near their former
fellow-townswoman, officers man.
aged to clear the car of the many
who had forced their way as far as
her compartment and the train pulled
out.
The spirit of the tiger woman"
then broke completely and she was
inconsolable for the next hour.
At San Antonio the train was
met by A. M. Gray who adopted
Mrs. Eta Mae Jackson as his
daughter seven years ago when the
sisters were playing in musical
comedy In that city. He has also
acted az a foster-father to Mrs.
Phillips since that time. Only Mrs.
jackson was permitted to see him.
Does he still love me?" the ham
mer murderess" asked her sister as
the train continued it's journey,
"even if ] am bound for PRISON."
"Oh, the persecution / have suf-
fered. But / shall fight-fight and
prove my innocence. Although I
have had several chances to make
another escape since my return.
they have not interested me.
Il will not be back of the bars
longT but when ] come out the next
time, the world will wonder that 7
stood up so we'll when paying for
q crime that / did not commit"
RAW COTTON FAMINE
PREDICTED BY EXPERTS