Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-08-08
Arlington Jai|'s
Fooled Escape
.Tightens Rules
Stairs to Be Sealed OFF,;
Joiler Beaten, but
Break by a Fails

Arlington Jail officials invoked
tighter security measures today
as an afterthought to an unsuc-
cessful escape attempt by four
prisoners last night.
John Robert Polk, accused Of
KIDNAPPING and assaulting Navy
ensign's wife, and three other
prisoners missed freedom by
fraction after Selling and beating
a jailer.
Only the fact that the Jailer was
not carrying keys to the cells. and
that the head jailer appeared N
the nick of time, prevented al
four from slipping out Of the new
courthouse lookup.
One had reached the third
floor Jail Office, from which he
could have gone dow a stairway
to the street floor About the time
he reached the office, apparently
searching for cell keys, so did the
head jailer. and the jig was up.
Stairway to Be Sealed Off.
But the close call convinced
police today they should seal off
the stairway with a steel door.
such as the State Board of We'll
fare and Institutions recommended
earlier.
The stairway leads from the Jail
office to the Uhle Street Police
Station. The trouble, however, is
that the police station is at the
basement level. An escaping pris-
oner undoubtedly would avoid that
and depart from the street level.
In another security move. pris-
oners in each cell block were
clapped into separate cells today.
At the ime of the escape attempt,
prisoners were gathered in trios.
Doors between some of the cells
had been opened to permit them
to talk or play srds,
Grabbed by Trusty.
The jailbreak try began when
Night Jailer Rollie Howes entered
the Jail on routine hourly check
about 6 pm. He passed a trusty.
Albert Horch, %. of the 1900 block
of North Harrison street, who
grabbed him from behind and
threw him against a cell block.
Inside the cell block, according
to Mr.. Howes, were Polk and two
other men who grabbed him and
beat him severely on the face and
head.
The two were identified by Mr..
Howes and later by Horch as Eu-
gene H. Waterfeld, "a, an escapee
from a Virginia prison camp at
Chatham. and William R. Marsh.
25. of the HOO block of North
Kensington street. who has been
sentenced to eight years for bur-
glary and HOUSEKEEPING.
Mr.. Howes said that his necktie
was pulled tight against his throat
so that he nearly choked. The
ijailer, 56 years of age and weigh
ing 1876 pounds, said the prisoners
beat him with their fists for sew
ieral minutes.
Took Big Key.
The jailer said Horch then took
from him the big key to the door
between the Jail and the Jail
Office. Discovering that Mr.. HoWes
did not have the smaller keys to
the cell blocks. Horch ran to the
jail door, opened it and was going
into the Office in an apparent at
tempt to get the cell block keys
from a desk drawer.
Just then, Head Jailer Theodore
Frederick came out of a door OPP
posite the Jail door and about IL
feet away. Mr.. Frederick was
leaving his living quarters with
his wife to go to Clarendon and
find how the election was going.
Horch ran back into the Jail,
locking the door behind him. Mr..
Frederick unlocked a cabinet and
got out a revolver, then phoned
police on a direct line from the
Office.
Through the jail door he saw
Mr.. HoweS, who had been freed
by his attackers. Mr.. HoWes
shouted to him to get the keys
from downstairs. Mr.. Frederick
jumped in the elevator, went down
to the police department and Sc
cured the duplicate set of keys,
returned in the elevator to the
Jail office and found Mr.. Howes
awaiting him.
Key Taken From HOrch.
Another trusty. Paul Jenkins,
who is serving a year on bad
check charges, had taken the key
from Horch and given it to Mr.,
HoWeS.
When Police Dispatcher Charles
Lee got the call from Mr.. Fred
rick. he motioned to Policemen
Donald KidWell and Creighton
Marshall to cover the exits from
the third floor. The dispatcher
then called all available cars and
about 20 policemen, who sur
rounded the courthouse in less
than three minutes.
Planned Break Sunday.
Horch said Polk had planned
the break last Sunday. He said
they thought, the jailer carried
the KEYS to the cell blocks. The
four had decided they would
hltch-hike to Mexico, Horch said.
Polk, 10. of the 800 block Of
North Wakefield street, Arlington,
faces possible death penalty if
he is convicted of rape at his trial
set for Tuesday. Polk is held with
William Robert Payne, Is, of the
200 block of Wooten avenue.
Bethesda, in the kidnap-assault