Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. to escape from prison.

1927		D. Hammett ‘The Big Knockover’ Story Omnibus (1966) 289: The Dis-and-Dat Kid, who had crushed out of Leavenworth only two months before.
1934		L. Berg Prison Nurse (1964) 131: From the warden down, all these bastards give a damn about is to see that no one ‘crushes out’.
1944		R.L. Bellem ‘Killer’s Cure’ Hollywood Detective Mar. 🌐 I was your husband’s best pal, we crushed out of stir together in Illinois.
1950		Goldin et al. DAUL 54/1: Crush out. See Crash out [i.e. escape].
1950		P. Hoskins No Hiding Place! 190/1: Crush Out. Escape from prison.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 796: crush out – To break jail, especially with violence.

2. to push through a crowd.

1934		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 183: He fought his way into a store in a jam, copped a horn, crushed out.
1935		(con. 1920s) J.T. Farrell Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 774: He got up, crushed out to the aisle, and left the theatre.