Toms River jailbreak

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New Jersey Courier 6 Sep 1929

Going into the jail on Sunday morning last, September 1 to unlock the cells and feed the prisoners, Wiliam Liming, jail warden, was set upon by James Harris, colored, who knocked Liming down, kicked and stamped on him, and escaped from the jail. Harris was caught by state troopers in less than an hour and was back in his cell, giving up when they chased him through the woods, firing at him.
Warden Liming is in Kimball hospital, bruised and beaten from head to foot, almost. His condition is good, and he is expected to be out soon. His worst hurts are where the negro kicked and stamped upon him with his heavy shoes.
Mr. Liming will be at the hospital for a week or two yet it is reported, though he is getting on nicely from his brutal treatment.
The Warden had gone into the jail alone, as his custom was, to unlock the cells and let the prisoners out into the corridors for their breakfast. He had just risen, and was still in his pajamas. The first tier of cells he unlocked was occupied by Harris, Thomas Cooper (see his story on the South Toms River page), charged with murder, and Robert Glascow, all colored. He was leaving the tier corridor, shutting the door to lock it, when Harris reached through the bars, grabbed him by the throat, and pushing the door against Liming, knocked him down and kicked and stamped on him. He then ran down stairs, out the door and away. Cooper and Glascow did not offer to help the warden, neither did they help the negro. They went back into their cells and snapped the locks on themselves.
The negro crossed the lots to Hooper avenue, then across lots to Madison and Hadley avenues, where he took to the woods. He went on across Lexington avenue and followed the old road up the woods that runs back of the Kleinhans farm. Mrs. Liming called the state police at once, as well as phoning to Sheriff Holman in Lakewood. Two troopers started after the negro, and were later joined by policeman Jack Costa. They sighted the negro in the wood, but when they took a long distance shot at him, he dropped and gave up. By the time Sheriff Holman reached the jail with his officers, the negro was back in a cell.
Location: Ocean County Jail,Toms River, NJ, USA

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