Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-23
BANDIT ESCAPES
5TH PRECINCT CELL
Maj. Pratt Orders Probe of
Mysterious Circumstances
Surrounding Break.

Wilbur william Hand, convicted as
member of gang Of five desperate ban
dts who robbed the Commercial Saw
ings Bank of Gallon, Ohio, of $175,0OO,
escaped early this morning from a cell
in the station house of the fifth police
precinct here, where he was being held
for the Ohio authorities, under mysteri-
Gus circumstances, which ca' sed Maj.
Henry G. Pratt, superintendent of po-
lice, to order Inspector Albert j. Head
ley to make an immediate investiga-
ton. Hand had been picked up here
on a lookout after disappearing from
Ohio while out on bond.
Hands escape was discovered by Po-
liceman Louis A. Craig about $50
O'Clock. The steel door of his cell was
open and so was the steel door OF the
to pass through both of these doors.
Twenty minutes earlier, according to
the police, the cellroom door was tried
and found to be locked.
No Evidence Of TamperinK.
There was no evidence of either lock
having been tampered with. How the
two doors could have been unlocked
without key Capt. w. Z. Sanford and
Lieut.. r. H. Mansfield of the fifth pre-
c1nct. after preliminary investigation,
declared they were unable to under
stand
The prisoners brother, A. j. Hand of
Toledo, Ohio, came to Washington to
see him last week and Is understood to
have taken his effects away from the
station house after talking with him in
the cell room.
Sheriff George Davenport Of Craw-
ford County, Ohio, and George Moody,
captain OF police Of Gallon, arrived
here this morning a few hours after
Hands escape for the purpose of TAX
ing him back to Ohio. Sheriff Daven-
port said that the prisoners brother
had been indicted for completely in the
bank holdup and tried twice, the jury
failing to agree upon verdict each
time.
The escaped prisoner, who is mild
maEnered man of 35, was convicted
in Crawford County of completely in
the robbery and sentenced to serve
from IL to 25 years in the Ohio STATE
Penitentiary. He appealed and was Que
on $25,000 bond when he disappeared.
Disappeared 18 Months Ago.
The Commercial Savings Bank of
Gallon was robbed June 28, 1927, the
bandits stealing $175.000 in cash and
bonds. Wilbur William Hand was al =
rested along with Harry zillick. Botn
were convicted and Zillick Is row in
the Ohio Penitentiary. having lost an
appeal to a higher court. Hand disap-
peared about 18 months ago while his
appeal was pending.
Policeman Paul E. Ambrose of the
first precinct arrested Hand at the COR
ner of Eighth and E streets about two
weeks ago, recognizing him from a po-
lice circular sent out by the Ohio au-
thorities. Hand gave the name of Will
liam James Hennessy and his address
as Baltimore BY finger prints he was
identified as Hand. From the first pre-
cinct he was transferred to the fifth
precinct.
One of the things that Mai. Pratt
asked Inspector Headley to find out in
his investigation is why Hand was held
so long in a station-house cell in
stead of fugitive warrant being issued
and the prisoner being held at the Dis
trict Jail for the Ohio police.
In the police circular Hand is de-
scribed as a dangerous man, who car
ries a pistol in his inside coat pocket
and will shoot to kill. He Is said to
I have declared that he would rather
Continued on Page 2. Column 81