Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-07
HAND WALKED OUT
|OF HIS CELL, LEFT
| UNLOCKED, HE SAYS
Prisoner Who Fled Fifth Pre-.
cinct Jail Is Caught by
Chicago Police.
PRATT TO SEND MAN
TO QUESTION CAPTIVE
Rumors That He Was Aided in
Escape Here Led to Inquiry ct
Time of Disappearance.

Declaring it was all very simple, VIII
bur William Hand, today told Chicago
police he escaped from the fifth pre-
cinct police station here last October
by pushing open cell door, which had
been left unlocked" and walking out.
The cell door was open, so just
walked out of jail needed the exer.
cise," said Hand, who is a pal of Will
liam Durkin, now serving life SEN
tence for the murder of policeman, as
he sat In cell in the detectives bu-
reau.
Il woke up in Washington Jail--it
was only district police station CELL
about o'clock in the morning.
looked at the door. 1t was open," Hand
said. We'll what would you do in q
case like that? 1 simply walked out"
Hand today faced extradition pro-
ceedings expected to eliminate in his
return to an Ohio prison.
Washington police officials declared no
effort would be made to return Hand to
this city because when he was in cus-
tody here he was merely being held for
authorities of the Buckeye State. The
only offense he was known to have
committed here was his escape from the
precinct.
Receiving information that Hand was
visiting an aunt there, Gordon of Chi
instituted search at dawn yesterday.
Hand was found in bed. He leaped for
pistol when awakened but was over
powered as he struggled to grasp the
weapon. The fully loaded SO caliber
revolver was seized.
Chicago Police Probe Record.
Meanwhile Chicago police sought 10
link Hand with gang believed respons-
tble for more than score of bank rob-
berries in recent months in Illinois and
Wisconsin towns of the Chicago terrt-
tory. Police charged Hand possessed q
widespread reputation as a desperate
character.
Hand was convicted in Crawford
County, Ohio, more than year ago of
completely in the robbery Of $4,000
from the Commercial Savings Bank of
Gallon, Ohio. Found by a jury to have
been one OF the five men who looted the
bank, he was sentenced to IL to IS
years Imprisonment in the Ohio Peni-
Tertiary. On his release under bond Of
$4,000 pending action on an appeal,
Hand fled from the Jurisdiction.
He also was wanted for bank robbery
in Plainfleld, Toledo and Bucyrus, Ohio:
Abbottstown and Harrisburg, Pa. It was
considered probable, however, that these
charges would be held in allegiance until
ne had served his sentence in the Gallon
case.
Records Disclosed Identity.
Arrested here early on the morning Of
October 10 last, when discovered loiter-
ing at Eighth and E streets by p. e.
Ambrose, a first precinct policeman,
Hand gave his name as william James
Hennessey, 35 years old, of 1903 North
Charles street. Baltimore. Examination
OF police records the following day re-
vealed his true identity. Ohio authors
ties then were notified of his capture.
Hand was transferred to the fifth pre-.
clnct pending arrival of Ohio police. AL
though locked behind two heavily barred
iron doors, he disappeared from his cell
early on the morning of october %.
Aroused because the prisoner apparently
| had been given assistance by some one
IN the station house, Mai Henry @.
Pratt, chief of police, ordered an ex-
| haustive investigation.
Inspector Albert j. Headley delved
! into the affair. He later reported two
prisoners had seen Hand walk to free
dom. The inspector quoted one of these
men, Medic Marinazzi, charged with q
liquor violation, as saying he had seen
a man unlock a cell door and permit
Hand to saunter through the station
house, never to return. Marinazzi failed
TO identify any one as Hands accom-
plice
inspector Headley recommended that
r, g. Speith, station clerk in charge at
the time, be given hearing before the
Police Trial Board This recommended
ton was not carried out, however.
No action was taken against Robert
F. Langdon, fifth precinct detective.
said by Inspector Headley to have adj
Matted having talked with Hand prior
to his escape. The inspector reported
Langdon said he was considering aiding
Hand in taking legal steps to evade
being returned to Ohio.
Maj Pratt announced a detective
would be sent West to question Hand
about his escape as soon as it was
definitely learned to whom Chicago po-
lice intended to release the prisoner.
The police official said he doubted
Hands statement as to the cell door
being unlocked. He added that the
prisoner may tell how he actually did
escape after he is committed to the
Ohio penitentiary.