People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1894 — A CRIMINAL WITH NERVE. [ARTICLE]

A CRIMINAL WITH NERVE.

_____ Bis Bold Escape from Officers Only to ll* Rearrested. Buffalo, N. Y.,Feb. 20. Leroy Har- j ris, alias William H. Clark, was being i arraigned in the United States court • Saturday afternoon on a charge of forging postal department money orders when he suddenly drew a revolver and cried out: ‘Bands up, gentlemenl” Two deputy United States marshals, Inspector Lawrence Letherman, of the postal department, United States Com- ; missioner Fairchild and United States District Attorney Mackey were in the room. The three first named were armed, but all complied with the order of the prisoner and five pairs of hands' were pointed heavenward. Harris stood near the door, 1 which had been locked to exclude reporters, and kept the officials covered with the revolver in his right while he nnlocked the door with his left With | a parting curse and a command to remain in their submissive attitudes Har- ! ris jumped into the corridor and locked the door, leaving his captors prisoners, j Deputy Marshal Watts, one of those whom Harris locked in the room, threw 1 up the window and fired five shots at the fleeing figure of Harris as he ran down Seneca street, but did not hit Harris or, luckily, anyone elsa The door of the room was forced and the officials gave chase, but Harris escaped in the crowd on the streets. The police department was called upon for assistance and men were post- , ed in all parts of the city, and descriptions of Harris were sent to all surrounding towns. Capt. Stewart, inspector of the post office department, kept a lookout at Niagara Falls, Ont, and on the arrival of Harris there captured him without a struggle, and without waiting to secure extradition papers immediately boarded a train for Chicago. It is probable that this may cause international complications. [The crimes for which Harris is wanted were committed in various parts of the country. On January 5 he went into a post office in Connecticut aud told the postmaster that he was a postal inspector. After examining | tbe books ho said he would like a quan* I tity of blank money orders and advices. These were given to him and he departed. Soon he began ltis fine work with forged orders and advices from which he secured 83,000. The offices at Decatur, Aurora, Joliet, Bloomington, ! Peoria and La Salle, In Illinois, nad paid out on forged orders £2uo each; Fort Wayne, Ind., a like sum; Valparaiso, Ind., (ICO; and several ether offices 42)0 each.] [