The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-28


met r. Byrne. Damrell earlier yes
terday, before the fugitive admit
ted his identity, had attempted 10
see Leary but had been refused by
Chicago police until Hickey arrived.
Al that time Damrell told The
Waterbury Democrats Chicago cor
respondent that he was very sur
prised' at "Donavan" being held.
HE Is . vesy ilkable, affable
man. A good church-goer and ea-
tlrely abovehoard In his dealings"
he emphasized.
q. Edward Palmer the man who
first identified Leary TO a Chicago
policeman and caused his arrest
said last night the Leary reacted
in an incredulous manner when
they went TO the police station.
whats the idea?" Leary is said
to have asked Of Palmer.
your worth money" Palmer said
he replied.
Lcary then replied Il have
money, I'll pay 1t II that's what
you want"
Palmer was the former president
OF the office Supply Company Of
Waterbury which went bankrupt
one week after the conspiracy case
had gotten away and Palmer's Sec
retary-treasurer Miss Carolyn Coz
"a, now his wife, had been called to
testify. The company had handled
all the city's supply business.
OF interest was the story related
by Trooper Pastore Of 1856 North
Main street, Waterbury, who told
of chasing the fugitive across Mex
leo to the border Of Guatemala.
Leary did not corroborate this
story. Pastore said that he and 1t.
Henry Mayo OF the Connecticut
State Police had conducted the
chase, sometimes on horseback, but
the fugitive managed to keep just
ahead of him. They eventually lost
the trail A visa to Mexico was
found also among Leary's effects.
only Escape
Leary was the only one of the
conspiracy defendants who made or
attempted to make a break" from
the sentences imposed. The others
had all submitted readily when in
formed Of the Supreme Court de-
mails of their sentences.
Leary, however, hf@ been the last
one suspected by state police Of
attempting such a move. 1t was not
until hours after the others had
been rounded up and placed in for
NAL custody did the suspicion arise
in the mind of Commissioner
Hickey that day five years ago that
something had gone wrong.
All sorts of theories were pre-
scented when it definitely became
known that he was gone. 1t was
conjectured he had gotten to the
Bethany airport where a "myster-
ious" plane had been housed for a
week previous. The reality of the
plane never was sifted from the
unreality of srllmor. 1t was said also
that he had entered his own car
on Brook Street and driven off; that
he had slipped out through cell
larway door that few people knew
existed in the Brown Building. The
door never was actually located anc
never existed.
Then there persisted the rumors
Of local people who claimed II saw
Dan Leary in "a New York night
club. in a Philadelphia bus. on the
street in Cleveland. in a theater in
Pittsburg. on the beach in Florida
etc, and so on. Any of these ru-
mors that reached the alert ears of
the state police were checked and
double checked but few, if any
proved to have any factuality.
Dan Leary meantime was living
as a model citizen in Chicago
proving his adeptness and shrewd-
ness as a successful business man.
His conscience was heavy, how
ever. Perhaps so heavy that he
couldn't find the will to leave
Chicago even after so frequent en-
counters with Tierney, the man next
door in the Chicago hotel who
identified him further in that
Chicago police cell.
IT had planned to leave for Cal
ifornia two days ago." he told
Hickey last night. II felt sick, how
ever, and had to delay it,"
Prison will mean a death SEN
tence for me-" he grimly added.
Thus time and the accusation of
a man who had done business with
the fugitive when the latter was
Waterbury's comptroller and can
didate for lieutenant-governor
caught up with Daniel J. Leary
after five conscience burdened years
of exile frcm family, friends, ac-
quaintances and the warm men,