Evening star., 1932-04-17
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

HAL century ago washington was
profoundly stirred by the disappear
Howgates a anCe of Of an m. Army agcdd ofceF ef
Escape seS peGuaton nas IN Of fat6da 0SS funds funds
ing trial. The Star of April IA, 1882,
thus tells the story:
Capt. H. w. Howgate, who has been
confined in jail for some time on a
charge of embezzlement while acting as
disbursing officer of the Signal Corps
was yesterday granted permission, on
an order signed by Judge Wylie, to visit
his house, on Thirteenth street near G.,
for the purpose Of examining some pa
pers He was accompanied by Deputy
Marshal Dewing, who went into the
house with him and sat in the dining
loom while Capt. Howgate and his
daughter were conversing. The time
of the leave Of absence was two hours,
expiring at o'clock. p. m, and this
time passed pleasantly, the captain
showing no wish to be left alone by the
officer. Just before the time to leave
i Howgate, in company with his daugh-
| ter, passed out of the room TO the We
randa, where they remained talking.
The deputy sat in the room for little
time and then, not hearing the sound
of voices, stepped TO the window and,
looking out on the veranda, found that
| the captain was not there. He ques-
toned the daughter. but she gave an
| evasive answer. The officer at once
hurried out of the house and gave the
alarm. The captain left no trace of
his escape and the theory is that it
was all arranged. The house stands
facing Thirteenth street to the west, a
veranda runs along the south side of
the house and an alley from the rear
| - I@k g.. - T% f- u
that he made his escape by the alley
and that a carriage was waiting on G
street to convey the fugitive away.
| Deputy DeWing said to a Star re-"
! porter today that he had notified How =
| gate a few minutes before that the
time of the leave was about expired.
He last saw Howgate by one of the
windows in the parlor opening upon The
veranda. This window reached to the
floor; that he did not go out by the
front door Mr.. Dewing is certain, for
he watched that point all the time;
| When HoWgate left the jail yester-
day he wore an old gray suit. After
arriving at his house he took a bath
and changed his clothing, arranging
| himself in black business suit. He
was thus dressed when he disappeared.
HoWgate is SO well known and is so
distinguished by a limp, that comes
| from rheumatic troubles, that 1t is be-
lieved it will be hard for him to escape
from the country. 1t is thought that
| ne has no money at his command. He
| has, however, many friends, some of
whom might be induced to assist him
to escape.
"At the Signal Office 1t was thought
that. Capt. Howgate's escape was the
result Of his own shrewdneSS and that
| it will be difficult to find him again,
for he will never put in his appearance
Voluntarily. 1t was thought there all
| along that If he had an opportunity
to escape he would take advantage of it.
| Some people friendly to Capt Howgate
take the ground that officials, feeling
! that there was no case against the
prisoner, permitted him to clear out.
At the Signal Office it is said that if
| 1t Is thought there is no case against
| Capt Howgate. let him put in an ap-
! pearance and the records produced from
| the records of the Office will Umdoubt-
edly cause him to spend the best part
! of the remaining years of his life in
| the penitentiary for the embezzling of
| upward OF $4,000 by deliberately
making out false vouchers and pocket
! ing the money.
Marshal Henry telegraphed TO po-
| lice headquarters about 5.20 o'clock yes
terday afternoon notifying that depart
ment of Capt. Howgate's escape and
asking the aid of the police. Soon
aftsrward Marshal Henry and Deputy
| Williams arrived at police headquarters
and Mai. Brock at once notified the
entire police force of the District Of the
escape, with directions TO be on the
| lookout for him. Nothing has been
heard from him and the belief is ex-
pressed by the police that he immedi-
ately left the city In disguise by some
private way, and that he is far out
of the reach of the court Every effort
will be made by the police force for
his CAPTURE"
| Capt, Howgate was discovered Sep
| tember AZ, 1894, in New York City. He
was keeping a secondhand bookstore
| there under the name Harvey Will
liams. He was returned 70 Washington
for trial and was convicted and sem
fenced.