Evening star., 1945-12-03
GirI,17,Charged
With Delivery Of
Jail Break Saws
Police Soy Suspect
Admits Smuggling
Blades in Magazine
picture ON Page A-2.)

picture ON Page A-2.)
Mrs. Catherine Davis, 17-year-
old salesgirl of the TOO block of
Ninth street Sc, said by police
to have admitted purchasing
four hacksaw blades from a
Southeast hardware store late
in October and delivering them
to District Jail trusty the same
day, today was charged with
prison breach.
Investigators said they believed
the blades were used by the five
men who made a break November
"a. The girl is being held at the
Women's Bureau. She was booked
on the unusual charge, however, at
police headquarters.
This development was followed by
an announcement from Howard B.
Gill, general superintendent of penal
institutions. that he and an assist
ant would take up residence in the
Jail for an on-the-scene investiga-
ton of conditions Mr. Gill and
Jail authorities, in a surprise inspec-
ton yesterday, gathered up two
hacksaw blades, a knife, a 12-inch
makeshift dagger and a cutout pic
ture of a pistol from three cells.
Blades in Magazine.
The suspect was arrested by De-
tective Sergts. Joseph Hunt and
Nunzio Bomacorrsy. They were as
signed to an investigation of the
November "a Jail break of the five
prisoners, only one of whom since
has been taken into custody.
Prison officials said the girl
brought magazine containing the
four blades to the jail and left it on
a table, where it was picked up later,
by arrangement, by a Jail trusty.
The trusty, it was learned, since has
been placed in solitary confinement.
Police added that the girls hus-
band was an inmate of the Jail.
They gave no details on how last
nights arrest was brought about.
Promised $500 for Blades.
The girl had been promised $500
for delivery of the blades by one of
the escaped prisoners, police said.
They said they believed one or more
of the blades found yesterday may
have been part of the four alleged to
have been brought to the Jail by the
suspect.
After conference of District Jail
officials this morning, Mr.. Gill an
nounced he and Arthur H Farley,
deputy superintendent of Lorton
Reformatory, would take up resi-
dence in two old cells of the Jail
| until the whole situation clears
up"
The two men will set UP Office in
cells once occupied by prisoners and
concentrate on conditions and ac-
tivities on the west side of the Jail.
1t was from this end of the institu-
tion that five prisoners made their
recent escape. Mr.. Gill described
Mr.. Farley as IAN able, energetic
and alert man in his early 40's" who
will serve as his personal represen-
tative in the investigation.
Prisoners Isolated.
Immediate result of yesterdays
shakedown inspection was isolation
OF two convicted murderers and the
placing of third prisoner in soli-
tary confinement. \
A three-way investigation, mean
! while, was to get under way in what
was believed to have been an at
tempted escape of eight prisoners
from a Municipal Court cell block
Saturday with the discovery that
three pieces of tile had been re-
moved from false ceiling. making
hole large enough for passage of
a man. Chief Deputy Marshal
Michael Kearney, District Jail
Supt. Claude o. Botkin and a COM
mittee of the Board of Public We'll
fare will conduct the probe.
Mr.. Kearney Disclosed that a
tablespoon handle which had been
fashioned into a screw driver had
been found in the court cell block.
lodged in partition just below the
space where the tile had been re-
moved He said he believed the
spoon was brought there by one of
the prisoners from a police precinct
and had been used to pry loose the
blocks.
He also reported that he planned
to question prisoners at the District
Jail who were held in the court cell
i hlock Saturday
Mcfarland Had Knife.
Jail officials yesterday discovered
a 3-inch piece of hacksaw blade, a
knife and the pistol cut-out in the
cell of Earl Mcfarland, 21-year-old
former Marine, awaiting death In
the assault and garroting of Doro-
thy Berrum, Government clerk, on
Hams Point in October, 1914.
In the cell of Charles ]. Skiskow-
ski, awaiting sentence in connection
with the $24,600 bank messenger
robbery at the National Bank of
Washington last March, investiga-
tors found 10-inch hacksaw. blade.
tSkiskowski was partner of Michael
j. Quinn, one of the inmates still
at large after the recent jail break.
I A 12-inch makeshift dagger was
discovered in an empty cell. Small
amounts of money and pieces of
steel that could be fashioned into
escape tools also we're found.
| Jan authorities lost little time in
placing Skiskowski in solitary con-
Il f7poYr,c,1t Az tha Soroo tiYoo thn rc1I
row containing Mcfarland and
Joseph B. Medley, also awaiting the
death penalty, was cleared of all
other prisoners.
/ Prisoners were stripped during the
inspection, which caught the In
mates of guard and apparently
gave them no time to secret any
items.
1H-s~. Hl