New Britain herald., 1929-09-11

mate knowledge of the BlackWater country, then tries to cover up his misstep. The next morning Tom re- ccives a shock that makes him doubt the wisdom of being influ- erced by Veronica's blue eyes, for q glaring headline stares at nm from the morning paper: "Darlng Escape of a Convict
 CHAPTER 16
 THE CONVICT'S ESCAPE
 Recovered from the first shock of reading that headline, Daring Escape of a Convict" l noted the many subsidiary headings full of Extraordinary Circumstances, Mystery Woman, a Subtle Plot and ether ingredients well mixed in the dispatch into an exciting story. In lrief. it was thus:
 That the escape of a prisoner from Dartmoor Convict Prison on able than 1t had appeared at first. The prison officials and the police were entirely nonplussed. They did not know where the man had gone, or with whom.
 What they had discovered was the extremely clever way in which his ac2omplces outside had worked without arousing the least sus- ricion.
 The chief agent was apparently a young woman Who was seen in q car that passed through the city of Exeter. 25 miles rom the prison, carly Sunday morning.
 It was much later whom it was discovered that the prisoner was missing: then, of couHsc, it was far 100 late 10 trace the oar.
 But the policeman who saw it was so struck by he phy5iognony of the man who leaned forward im- patiently and said, 60 on, gC on,' that when the description of thc fugitive was circulated he had no doubt whatever this was the same man.
 The escape had been deliberately studied, and onC3 out Of the cell the prisoner had been able to get clear by miscroscopial timing of the movements of the warders and off cers. The alarm system had been cleverly deranged.
 He had beel provided with the cord and thin steel hook to throw over the wall. He had sealed it at the point nearest a plantation which, within three seconds, gave him perfect cover. The car wait d for him in the road below the coppice.
 The authorities suspected thaI without the assistance of an accom- plice inside as we'll as outside it would have failed. A further point was that the dCC1mplico outside must have ben quite familiar with the routine of the prison.
 The prisoner, of whom a dcscrip- ton was issual, was Eugene Rich ard, 32, ccnyicte1 at Canterbury of manslaughter and sentenced to five years penal scrvitude. He de- cined at the trial to reveal a sinsi. fact about himsolf
 The crime of which he was con- Nicted was committed at Dover. H. and another man, giving the namt Of Ernest Philip. out also of unccr- tain nationality, seemed 10 have foi. lowed across from Ostcnd, a clerk in a London business house, lJturn, ing from Belgium with large sun in Belgian currency Inst 1ad ot taking the train 10 London inc tW, men went to the hotel. Late al right they informed the police tha' ,ney had been molested by q gant fight in which one of the gang was while walking. There had been { knocked out.
 The police accompanied them tC the place and found the clerk un conscious. He died in hospital. NJ trace of a gang could be found.
 Suspicion against the two mcr was confirmed when on R;char+ the police found q considerable sum Of money in " 'Gian currenC, amounting to 1O,o'u Hlncs. Richart declared that it was his own. Richard admitted that he gavt the blow which knocked out thu clerk and declared that the blow was in self defense.
 The jury convicted of manslaugh ter, and the judge inflicted the SC were sentence of five years pena servitude, and gave Philip, who wa found guilty of being accessory dur irg the fact. 12 months hard labor
 From the dock Richard had mad violent protest against the sen tence. He had ever since Lcen ; most difficult prisoner and thls wa why he was in Dartmoor-the iso lated fastness among the clouds o mountainous wild reserved for th worst convicts.
 This was the narrative whicl spread over two or three column of the newspaper. I read them witt growing mystification and alarm.
 What a trick of fate that hat brought quiet and decorous Wood cot into the midst of a sensationa and sordid drama ike this r Ol l tOulu llOi NutSllOli tlldt LII hero of the fight on Dover cliffs ant the escape from Dartmoor Prisol now lay in the guest room,
 It all dovetailed in too perfectl, to leave a single loophole-th days, the times, the circumstances.
 The police description of Rich ard might have been written sittinj in front of Cousin John-hs tai figure, his dark eyes and over hanging brows.
 And there was NelCnicas suddel flight from London on Saturda, morning, her secret return on Sun day evening, her concealment of fugitive-and such fugitivei And there was Pell's absence a