Train Leaving Prison Yard After Loading
About twenty-five years ago a prisoner, Frank Landis by name, made as successful an escape as was ever made from any institution. He sawed the bars on one of the cell house windows, squeezed himself through and has never been heard from since. Landis had arrived in St. Paul one day and victimized business men out of nearly twenty-five thousand dollars. He represented himself to be the son of a rich merchant of La Crosse, Wis., and, to allay suspicion, invited one of the merchants to telegraph at his expense as to his credentials. He evidently had a confederate at the other end of the line, as word came back that he was O. K. After getting this merchant to cash his checks he next induced him to introduce the generous buyer to other merchants, the aforesaid merchant vouching for his standing in each instance. One [pg 63] [pg 64] [pg 65] man became suspicious, and early the next morning communicated with La Crosse and received immediate advice that the name was unknown. Then the hunt for Landis began, but he had departed for parts unknown, was later captured and received twenty years in the Stillwater penitentiary. Here his stay was of short duration, as he soon made his escape.
On a previous page we stated that there had been but one escape from the Minnesota State Prison since Mr. Wolfer has been warden. Recently, however, a “trusty,” who had been acting as coachman, took advantage of the freedom allowed him and disappeared. This is not considered by the officials as an escape in the true sense of the word. Below we give the “trusty's” picture with the Bertillon Measurements.
| Height, 1 m 75 1 | |
|---|---|
| Height 5 ft. 9 in. | |
| Outs A 1 m 82 | |
| Trunk 90 | |
| Head Length 19.8 | |
| Head Width 15.3 | |
| Cheek Width 13.6 | |
| R. Ear 7.2 | |
| L. Foot 27.4d1 | |
| L. Mid F. 11.6 | |
| L. Lit. F. 9.2 | |
| L Forearm 48.1 |
Name, Allus Petwray, No. 2654. Nationality, African; age, 30; color, Negro; build, muscular; complexion, M. brown; hair, black; eyes, Mar. deep; weight. 161.
Sentenced March 1, 1909; term, 2½ years. From Polk county, for the crime of grand larceny, second degree.
Marks and scars: 1 cut:- hor. rec. 1.5 c at 3 d ph. R. III-Cut:- rec. hor. 4c at on & sr. of cen. sr. brw. III-Cic;- rec. ob. 1c at slt. over & sr. out. pt. sr. eye. III-cut:-rec. ver. sit. ob. 3c at 2.5 to front dx. tragus. III-Cut:-rec. ob. 8c at 3 over dx. ear.
Occupation, coachman.
This photograph and record of Bertillon Measurements has been sent broadcast to all the police departments in the United States and Canada, and his recapture will probably be “only a question of time.”