Suzy Kline's book, Horrible Harry Moves up to the Third Grade features a story on Starkey's deadly escape. The account is given to the characters by a guide, stating Starkey's amassing of the $100 and bribery of a guard. The fictional guide also states that the guard provided the information on the way to escape, and deliberately chose not to warn Starkey of the frayed rope that would cause his fatal fall.
