The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922, March 09, 1909, Image 2

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    IB I
AN
SCAPE VIA THE GRAVE
By, GEORGE T. PARDY
id Justice
Talc of a Long
Search, the Disap
pearance of a Crim
inal and the Hanging
of Man by Essex
County Authorities
-An Achievement
of That Master
Sleuth, John Wilson
Murray.
Up
i N Mr.rch. 18RJ. ft mnn by
tlio name of I.uko Phlttpa
wits tlio proprietor of n
bllllurd room in Detroit,
Mich. Phlppii was nbout
111 yenrs of ago, of fair
complexion, with brown
liulr und a uajdy mus
(ncho. Ills family con
Bfsiod of hl:i wlfu and two
children, u boy mid n Klrl.
Mru. l'hlpii.i wan u protly
littlo woman, apparently
vory fond of her liuabuud.
Hut fata docrcad that tlio narpont of
Jealousy should crocp Into this Kden
of domoHtlc bliss, Mrs. Phipps, with
nit the knowledge of her husband, had
been in tlio hnhlt of making secret
trips ncrcfW tho rlvor to Wlndnar, and
it chancod that Ltiko Phipps recolved
information of thin fact. Passionately
dovotod to his -wife, thin discovery fill
ed him with inndncHs. Ho watched
lior carofnliy and shadowed hor move
inontH, Ono fateful night iilm loft her
homo and hoardod tho ferry boat for
Windsor. Clone on hor hoola followed
tho infuriated liuabatid, armod, and
under the Inlltionco of strong liquor
in which ho had boon Indulging freely
Blnco ho had boon informed of hlu
wlfo'B supposed unfalthfultiCHU.
Not until tho boat way well out In
tho rlvor and approaching tho Can
nadlan nlioro did Phipps rorcal him
uolf to tho woman. Angry words
(lausod bolweon thorn, tho husband
accusing the wlfo of liifldollty. Mrs
Phipps ropllod harshly and the words
hud scarcely left bar lips when tho
man drew a rovolvor and fired point
blank at hor. Tho ballot sped truo
to the murk and Mrs. Phipps fell to tho
dock doad. Tho murder was witnessed
by a score of passengers and Phipps
was Instantly seized. Ho mado no
resistance hut mookly gnvo up the
weapon with which tho deed was com
mitted, and when tho boat landed at
Windsor was taken in cliargo by tho
Canadian authorities. Ho was takon
at onoo to Sandwich jail, throo mllos
from Windsor, and committed for trial
Into this Ill-omeuod placo of con
llnoment camo Phipps soborcd by tho
realization of tho nvftil tragedy of
which ho had been tho author. The
futuro looked black ndood. for Ouim
dlnn justice frowns grimly upon tho
destroyer of human life tin matter
what, her or hlo provocation may have
licon, and tho gloomy shadow of tho
gallowH loomed ihroatonlngly boforn
lilm. Among tho Inmates of Hamlwlch
jnll was ono "Iluoky" aroonllold,
professional thief, who like Phipps
wus awaltlhg trial, but on a far loss
uorloua chargo, To this man Phipps
was assigned as coll-mato; and glad
to find Bomoono In whom ho could con
tide, tho wlfo-slnyer told him tho story
As a result of this couferenco a mys
torlous fomnlo shortly afterwards paid
n visit to Oreonflold and for ten days
following hor call llucky kopt close In
his coll. During this tntorval Luko
Phipps becamo seized with a mania
for music. Ho whlstlod and sang con
tinually In a loud volco for hours at u
time. Nono of tlio wardoro offerod
any objection. Life in Sandwich Jull
was a monotonous oxlstcnco at tlio
best, and if a prisoner found comfort
in tho sound If his own volco they
oaw no particular roason for silencing
him.
The truth of tho matter was that
Phipps had resorted to tho perform
unco of those nocturnal concerts for
tho purposo of stifling the sounds of
Groouilcld's labors In tho cell.
At laBt tho porslstont gnawing of tho
fllo conquerad tho stubborn roslBt
nnco of tho stool bars. Thoy were cut
through and tho way of escapo lay
opon bofore tho prisoners, In tho
dead of night tho two men slipped out
Into tho durknoss. aroonllold got
through tho narrow opening with little
difficulty, but Phipps whon halt way
through stuck fust. His comrudo tar
rlcd for a few inomontu making don
perato efforts to extricate htm, but
Phipps romulned immovable, as
though gripped In n vlco. Self preser
vation being tho first law of nature,
IJucky Qroonflold resolved to obey Ha
dictates, and solzod with sudden panic
lied swiftly Into tho night.
Dospulr seized tho hoart of Phipps
in its Icy clutch when his comrade
desortod him. A fow seconds passed,
and ho still hy in tho narrow open
ing panting from his exertions. Thon
D
! 7)
Go Wrong in the Case of Luke
HHUI'i 'If X 'if III. IItl'IUIiriilllffIllfHllI.'JSJtfJlU!ri?Wmmr.JMJm; fMwm fnllLBknl I II ill nxr r - l
LIT HEAD F0R.&WQJT
A NEWLY DUr GRAVE .
a wild fury flllod his veins. iVo strug
gled savagely, dosperatoly, and dually
toro himself loose with u wrench so
powerful that tho momontum hurled
him over tho wn.ll, and ho foil heav
ily to tho ground bolow, Thoro ho lay
for some time, severely bruised and
only half consolous. Ho wus aroused
by hearing voleos in tho jull, and stag
goring to his feet draggod himself
away In soarch of u hiding placo.
Ho camo to a graveyard, and as he
crawled along In tho darkness, fell
head foromost into a newly dug gravo.
Sllont ho lay, without moving, with
fastclosod oyos and rigid body. Ho
hoard it creaking and bumping und
faintly, us though far uway, hq heard
tho harsh rattle of earth falling on
tho casket. Yet no wolght Boomed to
prosfT upon him, but this did not Bur
prlBo him, for ho was long past tho
atago of nstonlshmont. It was tho ond,
and nothing muttered now. Ho hoard
tho rumble of wheels us tho carrlugos
departed and tho footsteps of tho
mourners died away.
Ills awakonlng camo suddenly, ac
companied by a cold thrill of horror,
us his eyes opened upon tho uttor
darkness, Ho tried to movo, but his
entire framo seemed to bo paralyzed.
With a rush of recollection thoro
crossod his mind tho memory ot tho
burial, tho prayer and singing. Ho
moved his head feebly und through
tho hay caught sight of tho twinkling
sturs. Slowly and with great pain ho
mnnagod to rlso to a Bitting pusturo.
Whoro wus tho cpllln, where tho bIx
feet of oarth uridornuath which it lay?
Ho stnggorod to his foot and saw that
the grave ho ocouplod was empty. Ills
brain whirled madly in a maze of tor
turing conjectures, What did it nil
mean? Ho tried to clamber out, but
fell back exhausted. Ho lay back on
tho liny, rested and tried again. It
was tho work of an hour for him to
drag his feoblo limbs over tho edgo ot
tho pit, but at last ho succeodud. Thon
tho mystery was solved, Close beside
tho opon grave from which ho had
emerged a now-made mouud stood
darkly in tho moonlight. Tho burial
had indeed takon pluco, but in tho
gravo adjoining that In which ho lay.
Tho cscapod murderer stood up nnd
laughed hyBtorlcally us ho looked
around and saw tho distant outlines
ot Sandwich jail looming black and
glgunttc In tho moonlight. Rallying his
falling strength ho junggorod away
from tho grave that had been his place
of refuge. On tho uuw-mudo mound
stood u vase br flowers, und bonding
uown weakly, ho plucked ono and
tossed it Into tho ompty gravo.
Thou painfully ho turned and cropt
IHTO
out of tho cemetery, ncross tho road,
mrough tho Holds, traveling llko an
injured dog, limping on uli fours.
His progress wan very slow. Ills
destination was tho river, which ho
reached un hour uftor midnight, and
whoro ho found un old bout, half full
of wator. Ho dlscovorcd n piece of
bourd, cruwlcd into tho bout, shoved
off und begun to pnddlo. When dawn
was breaking ho reuched tho American
shore, below Detroit, nine miles down
stream, wet to tho skin, wounded,
bloodstained und faint. But ho knew
tho country round about and mado his
way Into tho city to tho home ot n
friend, knocked nnd was taken In,
clothed and fed. When his wounds
wore honied und his Btrength returned,
ho loft Dotrolt resolved to enter upon
a now life.
Hut tho Canadian authorities wero
not disposed to tamely relinquish tho
possession ot u prisoner who had
broken their laws nnd set them at de
fiance. Orders wero Issued to capturo
Phipps, wherever ho might bo, and
tho tusk of hunting him down wus as
signed to Detective John Wilson Mur
ray. He Bent out n description of Phipps
to police headquarters nil over tho
continent. Tho fugltlvo wus a billiard.
room Uoopor nnd Murray calculated
thut it would bo simply u question of
time until his money gave out and ho
would bo obltgod to look for u job In
a billiard room. Every man to his
trade is u muxlm thut ulso holds good
in tho cuso ot u fugltlvo from Justice,
and tho detective's Burmlso proved cor
rect. Phipps wus locntod In Pullman,
111., where ho hud obtained a position
lu u billiard room. Murray prepared
extradition papers, wont to Illinois anil
took Phlpiis from Pullman to Chicago.
In tho latter city the fugltlvo em
ployed Jesse Uull, un ublo lawyer, and
mado a hard light against extradition.
His counsel endeavored to show that
tho shooting wus douo Q Amerlcnn
wutors, und thoro 1b no hanging lu
Michigan. It tho crime had been com
mitted in American waters, Phipps
would have been triod in Michigan,
und It convicted, ho would not have
boon hanged. Murray proved by tho
captain of tho boat und a number of
its pussongera that tho shooting was
douo In Canada waters, on tho Canada
sldo ot tho rlvor. Tho logal light lasted
u couple of days, both sides culling
witnesses, nnd Phipps lost. An appeal
was takon und u writ of habeas corpus
issued, hut tho proceeding was dls
missed nnd Murray und IiIb prisoner
started for Cuundu.
At Ann Arbor two newspaper mon,
uttor going through tho car, stopped in
front of Phipps nnd asked him in a
whlspor as thoy pointed towards a
woll-knowu Dotrolt minister, who wus
slumbering in a nearby seat, "Is that
Phipps, tho murderer?"
Phipps morely smllod in reply, but
It wus ovldcnt that tho tltlo of mur
derer usod In conjunction with his
name mado him flinch considerably,
and Murray was about to explain tho
situation to tho reporters whon tho
train Btarted and tho two soekors for
Information loft tho car hurriedly. Tho
news of Phipps' coming hud gono bo
foro him and when, tho train reached
Dotrolt there wero nearly two hundred
ot his former friends waiting ut tho
station to see him. Tho reception thoy
gave tho prisoner testified strongly to
tho high tldo of popularity in his homo
town nnd Murray folt still moro fa
vorably Inclined toward tho man
whom duty compelled him to hand
over to tho grim mercies of Canadian
law. ,
"I'll seo you fellows at tho Michigan
exchange," culled out Phipps to his
frlends"ns ho followed Murray Into a
cab that Chief lialns of Windsor had
watting for them. "I'd like to tuko a
farewell drink there," added the pris
oner to Murray, and tho latter nodded
ussent nnd ordorod tho cubmnn to
drive to tho barroom iu question.
Phipps' frlonds gathered there In full
forco und crowded around him, shak
ing hands and giving vent to loud ex
proBslons ot sympathy. Finally Mur
ray delivered himself of u short speech
fo tho crowd that was trenchant and
very much to the point.
"It's nil vory well to bo sorry,
boys," Bald tho dotoctivo bluntly, "but
Phipps needB something moro than
that. What ho wants Is money for his
defense and I'm roady to start a col
lection right now." Murray backed up
his statement by making u handsomo
donation and tho crowd, growing en
thUBlnstlc over tho Idea, followed suit,
with tho result that a comfortably
largo sum was soon subscribed and
given to tho prisoner. That dono Mur
rny UBkcd him If thoro was any other
pluco In Dotrolt ho wanted to visit be
tore crossing tho river.
"I'd llko to drlvo past my old homo
on Jefferson street," said tho prls
onor, wistfully.
Many tlmoB in after Hfo tho dotec.
tlco was glad that he acceded to this
last roqucst ot his unfortunato prls
onor, Tho cub drove along Jefforson
stroot und Phipps gazed with soul
hungry eyes upon tho houso wherein
ho had once lived so happily. Ho
watched it out of tho cab window and
thon from tho window In tho back un
til it had faded from his view.
Phipps?
"I'm ready to go now," ho said, and
Murray took him across tho river und
back to tho Jnll from which ho had
mado such a daring escape.
There were several circumstances
that weighed heavily agalnBt Phipps'
chances of escaping denth on tho gal
lows. In tho first placo his Jall-broak-ing
exploit In company with Ducky
Greenfield wns ngalnst him. Green
field got away safely to Mexico, nnd
as thero was no extradition treaty be
tween Canndn and tho formor country
ut Hint tlmo covering his offenso, ho
wns never brought back. Doubtless
Greenfield meant well by his cell-mate
whon ho planhod their escape, but it
would havo boon far better for Phipps
had ho' not broken Jail. Then thero
wns tho opisodo of Hilly Callaghan In
Sundwlch Jull which had much to do
with influencing public opinion in tho
County of Kssox at tho tlmo of tho
Phipps trial.
Callaghan bolonged to Dotrolt. Ho
camo of a respectable family, and In
his younger dnys was n dry goods
clerk, but became a professional burg
lar and desperate crook. Ho and n
burglar named Kennedy were being
hold In Sandwich Jail und on March
10 they mado a dush for liberty.
Georgo O'Callghan Leech, tho old
governor of tho Jail, tried to intercept
tho oscaplng prisoners, nnd Billy Cal
laghan drow n revolver ' which had
been smuggled into his cell, shot and
killed tho governor and escaped with
Kennedy. Cullnghan got safely away
out of tho country but Kennedy was
caught and sent to Kingston peniten
tiary for soven years.
While thero Kennedy becamo pal
with another convict named Bllnky
Morgan who wub sorvlng five years
for manslaughter. Shortly uftor be
coming acquainted tho pair broke out
of Kingston penitentiary. Morgan was
traced to lleuo, Ohio, by a detective
named Hoollhan and in the light that
occurred when Uiey met tho offlcor
wus killed. Morgan escaped attor
slaying Hoollhan but wns run down
In Alpenu, Mich., whero ,ho shot tho
sheriff and wounded another man. Ha
was captured, tnken to Cleveland and
hanged. Kennedy got away. ,
In the meantime Callaghan, attor
killing Gov. Leech of Sundwlch Jail,
had disappeared completely. Murray
sent out circulars offering a reward
for hla nrrest and flnnlly received a
telegram from tho police of Hannibal,
Mo., which read:
"Come ut onco. Callaghan in Jail,
acknowledges identity."
Murray wired back: "Will como, but
I do not believe It Is Callaghan. Ho
would not acknowledge Identity."
Ho prepared tho necessary extradi
tion papera and wont to Hanulbnl, tak
ing with him Turnkey Smith of Sand
wich Jail, who know Callaghan well.
Arriving at their destination they wero
informed by tho police that two
crooks, known as Joo Rice und John
Cnrr, had burglarized Banker Patter
son's houso in Barry, 111., making him
got out of bed, open up his safo and
turn ovor tho contents, besides taking
his gold-mounted rovolvor. Thoy had
been caught in Hannibal and Rico had
tho stolen revolver. On tho way to
tho jnll Rico whispered with Carr, and
lu tho Jail ho had said to u fellow
prisoner:
"I wonder If these cops know who
I am? Thoy offer u reward for mo in
Canada." Tho prisoner reported tho
conversation, Rice was questioned and
confessed ho was BUI Callaghan. Then
Murray was sent for.
Tho detectlvo was shown to tho
cell occupied by tho supposed Callag
han. It was a gloomy hole, but even
in the semi-darkness a single glanca
at tho lnmato convinced Murray that
ho was not tho murderer of the Sand
wich Jail governor. Turnkey Smith
also shared hla 'opinion. The prisoner
was ordered to stop into a bettor light
and .Murray looked at him closely.
"No," said tho detective, "he Is not
Callaghan. This is Jim Leavltt of
New York. Jim, I havo seen you at
Billy Brown's in Blccckcr street, and
at 'Tho' Allen's."
Tho prisoner laughed, and admlttod
that Murray's statomont wus correct.
Murray returned to Toronto without
Callaghan whom ho next heard of In
Mexico. It was later reported that
Callaghan was drowned In South
America, but however that may havo
been, ho was never captured.
Between Greenfield nnd Callaghan
tho fato of Luko Phipps wus sealed.
Tho murder of Gov. O'Callughan Leoch
enraged tho peoplo of Ussc-x count,
and when Phipps, who had escaped
from tho samo jail, camo up for trial
somo months after tho Leech killing,
public oplulcn was against him. Ho
was found guhty of murder, hanged In
Sandwich jail in Novombor, 1S84, and
buried near tho gravo whero he had
onco sought rotugo nnd lay hidden
from tho eyes of his huntors for tho
space of a night and n day.
(Copyright, 190?, by Y, Q. Chapman.)
(Copyright In Croat Urltaln.)
Porcy Do you think your father
would object to my marrying you?
Pearl I couldn't sny. If he's any
thing llko mo ho would.
Sounded Funny.
'"IJhe young pian Is smitten with you,
Jennotto. Ho eays you radlato happi
ness." "Gracious I"
"And he also aald you radlatt
beauty."
"My!"
"And wisdom."
"Dear mo, how funny."
"What'B funny, dear
"Why, he must think I am a radia
tor." With n smooth iron and Deflanc
Starch, you can launder youi shirt
waist Just as well at homo as tho
steam laundry can; it will havo tho
proper stiffness and finish, thero will
be less wenr and tear of tho goods,
and it will bo a (positive pleasure to
uso a Starch that does not stick to tho
Iron.
Divorces In New York and Chicago.
New York city has Its average num
ber of divorces as compared with th
cities of tho United States. Chicago
Is the only city that Is proportionate
ly ahead of It. In New York there ara
two persons divorced to every 2C mar
ried. llci; W'cnk, AVcnry, XVnterr Eyr
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Try Murine In Your Kyes. At DruBislaUi.
As wo grow older it is very com
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Stiff neck! Doesn't amount to much,
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It makes a woman awfully tired to
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Lewis' Single Binder cigar richest, most
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Some men hare no excuse tor belnc
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