Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-05-25
TWO COUNfERFEIrERS AND A HORSE
THIEF.
Their Freaks In Des M0ines Jail.

Their FREAKS In les MONIES jail.
Marshal Nfelendy with His Hands Full.
In the Federal Court, recently in ses-
sion at Des Moines, three very adroit
culprits were to be tried. Reed and
White were under arrest for passing
counterfeit money In Clinton county,
and one Williams was charged with
the low meanness of horse-stcaling.--
The two former, being known as slip
perry characters, were sent to the Peni-
Tertiary after their arrest, for safe keep
ing. Marshal Mslendy in bringing
them to Des Moines had hard task to
perform, as may be judged by reading
an item on our first page copied from
the State Register. We have in the
same paper, an interesting chapter on
the freaks and stratagems Of these fell
lows while at Des Moines, which we
copy below:
Probably no Jail on this continent is
able to hold those Clinton counterfeit
ers, Reed and White. The dungeon in
which Monte Christie was immured for
fourteen years, and the massive pris-
ons in which Baron Trench suffered
through a great portion of his life,
would hardly hold the chaps. AS stat
ed in the Register yesterday morning,
White had his trial OH Thursday last,
was convicted, and was sentenced to a
probation of five years in the Iowa PEN
itentiary. When asked by the Court if
he had any reason to give why sentence
should not be passed on him, he threw
himself back on pile of stiffness and
surliness, and remarked that he hadn't
anything to say! The Judge said it for
him, and gave him some admonition
which would do any man good who is
not an irredeemable reprobate.
At four o'clock in the afternoon of
Thursday, White, after passing through
his trial, was taken from the Court
room to the Jail, and was placed in the
iron cage along with his confederate,
Reed, and Williams, the horse.thief.-
The three men were shackled in the
best style Of the art, and with all the
modern improvements; and it was be-
lieved that the iron cage, the shackles,
and all other Accomplishments of their
bondage, would hold them level until
morning. Sometime before dark, Mr..
Chandler, the turnkey, informed Mar
shals Melendy and Bowers that there
were suspicious noises in the cell. The
officers went as quietly as possible to a
part OF the building where the move
ments in the cage could be overheard;
and they were soon convinced that the
prisoners, with requisite tools in their
possession, were adroitly working for
their liberation. The noise of saw
was heard. The fellows kept a sort of
q NV CT k,,%
unable to suppress the sound of their
work. At eight o'clock, the officers
went into the cell to bring White out to
received his sentence. At this timc m
remark was made by the M,rshals To
indicate that they SUSPECTED anything
was wrong. At eleven o'clock. after
" hite had received his sentence, and
the business of the Court had wound
up for the night, the prisoner was
re-conducted to the Jail. 1t is proper
to state, however, on his way up to the
Court room early in the evening, he
was thoroughly searched for contra
Dand tools, but none were found
When he was taken back to the cage,
Heea and Williams We're subjected to
the process of a searching investigation
while White was kept in the back
ground, and it was discovered that the
scoundrels were practically outside Of
their irons, and in fair way to enjoy
the fullness and glory of personal liber-
ty.
Of course the officers went to work to
find the tools which had accomplished
this marvellous business in so short a
time. An iron bar had been wrested
from the privy after the bolt which
held 1T to another bar had been severed.
The bar and the severed bolt were pick
ed up and secured; but the saw which
had evidently done all this execution
was nowhere visible. The cage, and
the main apartment, were rigidly
searched, but without success. Clothes
were overhauled. At last coat in the
bed, which had been infinitely examin.
ed before, was re-eXamined, and in it.
was discovered the saw with which ali
the mischief, or at least the greater part
| of it, had been accomplished. This in.
strument had been placed by the horse.
thief in the coat after the first examin.
alton but he had used so much sleigh,
Of hand in the performance, that he
was not detected.
After all these discoveries had been
made, the three prisoners were put into
the cell again, attired in new shackles
and handcuffed in such manner as t.
place their arms behind them. Every
thing was done which possibly coulG
have been done to prevent them from
escaping; but at twelve o'clock thu
same night, the guard and Tailor, be-
lieving that more mischief was brew
ing, went into the Jail and found White
with his handouts off, and apparently
and the rest of mankind. 1t seems thai
the butter with which the fellows haG
been favored, was little too strong fol
rations, and they had saved it for the
use of lamp. An old tin cup was
made into lamp, and the chaps had
made pretty good light to work by
Things were fixed up as well as could
be expected under the circun stances
but on yesterday morning when break
fast was taken to the prisoners, they
were stalking about in the cage withou,
handouts or shackles! The instru
ment with which the new exploit was
effected, has not yet been found.
From this time henceforth, the fel
lows will have to be circumspect in
their movements, for, when endurance
ceases to be a virtue, they may be dis
covered, while in the midst of an ex.
temporized escape, and made to try
their digestive organs on a piece o.
lead!
CAvED IN!-The two counterfeiters
and horse-thief were informed on Fri.
day by the U. S. Marshal, that it was
determined to tie them down in such
manner as to render fruitless all theil
efforts at escape. They became alarm.
ed, and promised to do the right thing
and surrendered the last instrumen,
which they had used in disencumber
ing their limbs of irons, if the threat Of
the officer would be Withdrawn. Mar.
shall Mslendy consented and the fellows
gave up file which is believed to be
the last of the series. Friday night the
counterfeiters, and their boon compan
ion, slept as peacefully as infants. Early
in the evening, however, they were
overheard making some remarks con.
corning threats which had been made
to put bullets through their hides, pro.
vided they didn't behave themselves
One of them was heard to say:
Now, that's all CANNON! They