AT LIBERTY 24 YEARS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20313, 24 May 1934, Page 1

AT LIBERTY 24 YEARS.

Escaped Convict Betrayed by Finger-prints. EDMONTON, May 15. An extraordinary case of an escaped convict who lived a decent, orderly life for almost a quarter of a century and then was identified through his fingerprints, has aroused great interest throughout Canada. One James Fahey was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for poaching in the national park at Jasper, a mountain resort west of Edmonton. His finger-prints were taken, as a matter of routine, sent to R.C.M.P. headquarters in Ottawa for checking and filing, and to the astonishment of everybody but Fahey they told a romantic and tragic story. Fahey, said the prints—and Fahey then freely admitted it—was none other than Frank Grigware, who escaped from the United States prison at Leavenworth, Kansas, twenty-four years ago, and had not since been heard of. Then the story came out. Grigware, a native of Kansas, when a youth, was arrested with several others for an armed train robbery. He was convicted, sentenced to life imprisonment, and locked up at Leavenworth. Shortly afterwards he took advantage of a gaol-break, avoided recapture, made his way into Canada under the name of Fahey, eventually settled in Jasper, married, became a naturalised Canadian, and raised a family. In Jasper he is known as a hard-working, law-abiding citizen, and until his illadvised poaching exploit had never been in trouble in this country. The identification caused something like consternation in Jasper. Fahey, in the Edmonton gaol, declared emphatically he was innocent of the crime | for which he had been sentenced in ! Kansas. 11 is fellow-townspeople rallied jto his aid; his wife loyally stood be- ! side him. The women of Jasper tele- ( graphed the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Canada, ' asking for sympathy, for considera- | tion of a quarter-century of good livj ing. The Alberta Legislature in an inj formal session expressed itself similarly, j Throughout the country keen interest j was manifested. | Meanwhile the United States Governj ment made formal application for Fahey’s extradition, and pending hearing of the case he was released from custody on bail of £2OOO. It is expected he will be permitted to remain in the Dominion.