The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-09-06
S
Escape at
Pen Foiled
Otto Cole, Serving Life Sem
tence at Lincoln, Tries Bold
Getaway Disguished
as Woman.
Beard Reveals Ruse

Lincoln, Sept. 5.-As hundreds Of
state fair visitors passed through the
penitentiary today, the eye of Dep
uty Warden d. G. Kavanaugh was
caught by a woman in brown
dress, brown hat. brown silk stock
ings and brown shoes and jet, black
hair, who was quietly walking toward
the door with the visitors. Turning
to Charles Winter, a guard, the dep
uty said:
Take that lady into my office"
Winter looked astounded but did as
he was told He doffed his hat and
said:
"Lady the deputy wishes to see
r-sr n his office"
The woman" did not look up but
accompanied the guard to the dep
uty's office. Then, the astounded
guard heard a mans voice say: We'll
I'm caught. I worked on this for
Hree months"
"W0man" Was Murderer.
The woman" was Otto Cole, Oma-
ha murderer, who began a life sem
tence in. the penitentiary April 26,
1922, for the murder of an Omaha
pawnbroker, who he attempted to
holdup.
Cole has numerous other peni-
tentiary sentences and escapes to his
credit When he was on his trial in
Omaha, he conducted his own de-
fense cleverly and saved himself from
the electric chair. AS Cole disrobed,
he displayed not only clever set OF
womans outer garments, but had
gone so far as to make corset with
stays in it. The eyes for the corset
had been taken from a pair of army
shoes, which are furnished prisoners.
The stays were cut from steel used
In manufacturing furniture.
The dress was of brown silk poplin,
used in the penitentiary for making
of beaded bags for sale to visitors.
Green sateen was used as lining for
the dress, and it was set off with a
belt of more ribbon with fancy
buckle and tassel used in decorating
wicker furniture at the penitentiary.
wig OF Hair Cloth.
His black wig was made of coarse
-Sack hair cloth found in old sofas
and chairs sent to the penitentiary
workshop for resulting.
The hat, n larg. picture affair. had
been made from coarse cardboard and
wires used in the penitentiary and
was covered with brown corduroy up
holstering cloth. The corduroy was
- lot ha xrrf5c
brim wa scovered with brown ribbon
The silk stockings were not more
than IL inches in length and were
sleeves of a brown silk jersey he had
stolen from some prisoner. The OK
fords, originally, We're black used by
female impersonators in penitsntiary
plays. and had been Drowned with
furniture polish.
Proficient as Tailor.
Cole from years spent in peniten
tiaries had become proficient in the
tailoring art and since his arrival al
the state penitentiary worked In the
wicker furniture factory. where he
had access to materials used in his
makeup.
During the fair from 700 to / ,00(
visitors ask to inspect the peniten
tiary. The visitors are divided into
groups Of 50 and 100.
Three extra guards accompany
these groups through the institution
and either Warden Fenton or Deputy
Warden Kavanaugh stand nj the gate
watching every one who passes out
Prison officials have made no at
tempt to get any information from
Cole. believing that anything he
might say would be something tC
{ help his own cause. 1t Is their be
lief that as one Of the groups Of Wis
Yitors passed through the furniture
factory. Cole skipped into wash
room, donned his disguise and stepped
out, walking demurely over the re
mainder Of the interior with the Wis
3tors.
He had gone through two iror
rates opened by guards and had only
three more to pass until he gained
his freedom. In the big furniture
factory, prisoners necessarily have
much time to themselves, and the
furniture piled near them makes hid
ing of his disguise easy, officials as
serted.
TO make his disguise more perfect
Cole had obtained a brown bag ir
which s16.35 in cash, safety raor
nlctures and n small capsule box filled
with powder was found.