Evening star., 1923-04-07
BIG PLOT TO HELP
MAIL BANDIT SEEN
Burns Sure He Knows Men
Who Aided Chapman's
Escape.
EXPECTS TO TAKE THEM
New York Funds Supplied to Con-
vict Fleeing From Atlanta
Prison.
BY the Assoc ia ted Press.

BY the Associated Press.
ATLANTA, April THAT he has
a very definite idea" of the men who
put up the money" for the escape of
Gerald Chapman. the million-dollar
New York mail bandit, from the
federal penitentiary here, was as
serted today by William ]. Burns,
chief of the investigating bureau of
the Department of Justice.
Apprehension of the men, he said,
Is expected shortly. From informa-
ton / have just received" Mr.. Burns
declared. II think the case will be
indicate how many men he suspected
Of completely in the case.
The director OF the bureau of in
vestigation declared that he was
primarily" interested in the appre-
hension of the men whom he said pro-
vided funds which resulted in the
escape of Chapman. At the same time
the hunt for the bandit is being
pushed vigorously and additional De-
partment of Justice agents have been
dispatched to Athens to join in the
hunt
Mr.. Burns said the warden and
penltentiary officials would take care
or the inquiry into the escape at the
prison, but he was Investigating the
OUTSIDE associates who assisted
Chapman.
Many Aid I'm Search.
The search for Chapman, who was
last reported seen in the basement Of
fal
In Athens. is being prosecuted vigor-
ously. The Department of Justice
men are assisted by state and county
authorities
guard of another federal prisoner
at the hospital in Athens reported
early yesterday that Chapman es-
capped from the basement where he
saw him when a nurse, who accom-
panied the guard, tainted. A search
or the grounds and buildings failed
70 disclose any trace of Chapman.
Mr Burns last night ordered more
department or Justice men to Athens
Following conference with Warden
Dyches of the federal penitentiary,
assistant Attorney General Mabel
Willebrandt and Heber H. Votaw, SUI
perintendent of federal prisons.
Director Burns came to Atlanta
from Florida en- route to Los Angeles,
10 Interview a prisoner Herbert will
son. who declares he made the bomb
which resulted in the Wall street ex-
plosion in 1920. He said today he ex-
pected to resume the trip to Los
Angeles in day or two.
The arrests will involve members
OF a gang from New York, who came
TO Atlanta to furnish money to pave
the way for Chapman's escape, Mr..
Burns believes.
Explanation Doubted.
1t Is understood that the federal
authorities are investigating the
story that Chapman was seen in the
basement Of the hospital in Athens
yesterday morning, and that some are
inclined not to accept the explanation
or the escape. One high official Is
known to disbelieve the explanation
and to have doubts about it having
been Chapman that was seen in the
basement
Director Burns today would not talk
on the Athens end Of the Chapman
case beyond saying the hunt for the
convict was being pushed and to ex-
press the belief that Chapman will
soon be recaptured. The bandit is
weak from the wounds received in q
pistol battle with officers which pre-
ceded his first capture after his es
cape from the federal prison. As
sistant Attorney General Willebrandt
ana Supt Votaw were still in Atlanta
today and were understood to have
engagements for another conference
with Warden Dyches.