The Greniers appeared in police court on Monday, the 22nd. Elmo was arraigned on a charge of concealing and hiding John Rogers. Solicitor Dwight Hall represented the State, Attorney W.W. Scott represented the defendant. A plea of not guilty. Then his sister, Rosie, was charged with assisting in an escape by providing a saw; another not guilty plea. Hall asked for a week’s continuance, but Scott wanted something sooner. The Court scheduled the hearing for Friday, and bail was set for both defendants.

Come Friday, there was another capacity crowd, but they were disappointed. Attorney Scott advised that after consultation with his clients, they would waive any hearing. Bail was continued at $1,000 for each pending Grand Jury action in February. A sizeable number of potential witnesses were ordered to sign personal bonds for their future appearance. It was obvious from the coverage that the reporter had brief conversations with some of them: George Smart, owner of a store near the corner of Chapel and Main streets stated that Rosie had wanted to borrow a saw. He suggested instead that she buy one and referred her to Neal’s Hardware. Mrs. Olive Tatro accompanied Rosie to the jail for a visit with Rogers, and after they left Rosie went into town and returned with “a small slim package about eight or ten inches long”, then made a second visit to the jail. Felix Gardiner, “a young lad”, had seen Rogers enter a house near the Landing on the day of the escape, bareheaded and without a coat. John Croken later saw him exit the cellar, now wearing a coat and a hat. Others would testify that Elmo later accompanied Rogers to a local boarding house. It would appear that the State would have the evidence needed to prove the case, and since neither Grenier was able to come up with the bail they were transported to the jail, where “another brother is also confined…making three of the family that are behind the bars”. No mention of the cause of his incarceration.

Also, on the 23rd, it is reported that the two returned escapees were taken from the jail to Drew’s photograph rooms “in Smith’s hack”. “A large crowd assembled on the street… blocking traffic on the sidewalk”. They were disappointed in hoping to get a view of the prisoners because Hanna removed his hat, “and held his face in it so that the curiosity of the crowd was not satisfied.” Both Hanna and Rogers were complaining of the injuries received when making their getaway. City Physician Batchelder was called for an examination. He diagnosed Rogers with a severe sprain. It was also announced that new bars had been installed in the window used for the escape. In place of two, there were now three. And finally for the day, word was received that Valle, the third escapee, was still in the immediate Dover area, one who claimed to have seen him reported that “he was badly crippled up from his jump from the top of the jail fence.”

As an interesting aside, on the 26th, there is an item in Foster’s regular “Personal Mention” column that Nan Whitely, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Whitely of Payne Street, was very sick with pneumonia. The Whitelys, you may recall, were the folks approached at their home by “two men” shortly after the escape who were looking for some warmer clothing. (The same article also reported two local individuals who were suffering from typhoid!)

The focus now is on the whereabouts of Cleophas Valle. There is talk that he has made his way to Canada, but this conflicts with the reports of his crippled condition. On the 26th, there are reports of him being at the family home in Somersworth. Next is a sighting in North Berwick, Maine, but someone else had claimed to see him in Portsmouth. By the 3rd of February he is still among the missing. In the fanciful words of the Foster’s reporter, “but where he is spending his vacation basking in the sunshine of liberty appears to be a mystery which remains to be solved”. A suggestion is put forward that an offer of a reward might produce more useful information. But Valle is a Somersworth resident charged with a Somersworth crime and isn’t central to our story of William Hanna and John Rogers, now safely behind bars, and due to have their day in court.

(an exciting finale? More to come….)