From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for March 19, 1912:

“Three Kansas University students who were boating on the Kaw yesterday afternoon believe they aided one of the convicts, who recently escaped from the Nebraska prison, in making good his getaway. They were on the river yesterday afternoon close to the brick yard when they noticed an excited stranger beckoning to them on the bank. Rowing in to him he asked to be taken across the river so that he might catch a train at Perry, Kansas. The boys were somewhat frightened and as the stranger looked like a ‘bad man’ they meekly took him aboard and saw him safely across the river. Once on the other bank he bade them a hasty adieu and they believe that he caught the train all right and left for the West. The boys came back to town and notified the police department and the sheriff’s office here…. However, nothing has been heard of the man since he left his student boatmen. The boys state that the man was very much excited, seemed hungry and weary from long traveling and especially anxious to get away from somebody. He told them that he wanted to get across the river, but upon being referred to the bridge as a good way to do so, told the boys that he had been in a crap game in the East Bottoms at Lawrence and that he had cut up a man down there. He said that the police were looking for him here and that he would certainly be arrested if he came back to town to cross the bridge. He had but fifteen cents to pay for his passage across the river, and as he was careful to keep one hand inside his overcoat as if he were in possession of a revolver the boys decided that under such circumstances the best thing to do was to comply with his wishes. They never learned if he really had a gun or not, but are satisfied that he had.”