The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-09-15

/ ExCTEG TINES IN llurE.-Thc ordinarily
, quiet and peaceful town Of Hope, in this
county, was the scene on Thursday Of last
week, OF quite little tumult, the cause Of
! which is thus explained by q correspondent:
'"For the last month or two there have
been a couple Of young men, one giving his
name ms James Allen, and the other rs VII;
liam Pattcn, hanging around Tonica, with
out any visible means of support, and have
generally been regarded with suspicion. At
/ length Allen hired ont to a farmer, but had
not been long in his employ, before one
{ night the farmers bureau was broken open
and robbed Of 5000 in money and n gold
watch. Suspicion soon fastened on Allen as
/ the thief, and this was confirmed by an I'M
guarded declaration Of Patten, with whom
I Allen was still very intimate, that he knew
what had become Of the money On
! Thursday Of last week crowd collected,
and Selling Allen, they resolved to force
| from him confession Of his guilt. After
! trying sundry devices, they finally placed a
/ rope around his neck, aud declared they
would hang him, and drawing the hcmpcn
/ crayat uncomiortably tight, he finally sur.
rendered, confessed he had stolen the money
| and described q certain place in neighb0r-
| ing curnncld where the money nc sa,i va,
| concealed under sod. Search was made
according TO the directions, and the money
I and watch were found \ warrant was then
| got out, and he was regularly arrested and
| started on the road for Ottawa, to be Jug
| gcd. During the excitement it also leaked
ont that Allen and latten had taken young
man in the neighbOrhood in their conf.
dcncc, had disclosed to him that they were
mcitiycs from the Madison Jail in Wiscon.
sin, where they had been confined for rob.
bling pcdlar's wagon, and had attempted
unsucccssiully to have the young man join
them in their thcyng operations. TN the
strength OF this pattcn was also arrested,
and started for the Jail at Ottawa, to await
the rclUsitiOn Of the governor Of Wiscon.
sin
The two gentlemen" above described
were safely brought to Ottawa last Satur.
day, and being at once recognized by the
sheriff as lugitiycs from the Madison Jail,
were locked m. On Saturday and Sunday
nights they were, as usual, with the "hard
eases in Jail, locked in their cells until
morning; but on entering the Jail on Mon.
day morning, the jailor found that Allen and
Pattcn, with two counterfeiters from La
Sale, had broken out Of their cells and were
in the main hall, on opening the door of
which, by the jaor, they attempted to
knock him down, but were a little too much
in a hurry, as the jailor warded the blow,
and succeeded in closing the door before
they got out. The alarm was then given,
and help arriving, the worthless were forced
back into their cells, and their wrists and
ankles ornamcntcd with iron bracelets.
1t was found on examining the Jail that
they had nearly succeeded in undermine the
wall on the east side so as to admit of their
escape. Having nothing but broken iron
| spoon TO work with, their progress was a
little too slow, and they were arrested in
their operations by daylight and the unto.
ward appearance Of the jaiior.