, 1866-04-28
AN EXCITING SCENE.

d Condemned Felonss Desperate At
Tempt TO Break Jutl-A N1urderoua
Assau1t on his Keepers Happily
Fooled.
tFron 70 Pottage (ohlo, Democrat. elst l9s.l
Jack Cooper, now under sentence OF death
Iu TIC jail IN this place, demcaned himself In
LIS usual ''gentleInanly" manner, until Sum
day night. During the week be received his
spiritual adviser, in the humble and penitent
manner which ho can 70 well nssumc, when
that sort Of style will serve Inn. In fact It
seems rs If hc delights In the capacity OF
being saint and sinner at pleasure. During
the week Cooper received q letter from lis
sister, iu which she bade him farewell. 1t
vas to allow his sister to visit him, that
Cooper applied for and received respite.
During tie latter part OF the week IL was
noticeable that Cooper was in good Spirits.
lilo 1nanifcsted no sort Of depression, and WIS
The cnycat Of the worthy gang around him.
To those who know him this was suspicious
circumstance. A scheme to break jail was
the fountain Of the unusual Cow Of spirits,
mud The flAttcring prospect Of success clated
The muricrcr-though he mcditated other
murders, II necessary, to procure his CO.
| cuIc.
All things were orderly until about six
Sunday afternoon. AT that hour, Sheriff
Jennings anu the doctor entered the prison,
having Tho outer door locked behind lin.
Coming to the second grated door the Sheriff
unlockedit, admitted the physician, and enter
cd the prison himself, standing at ihe unjock-
ed door. Seeing this imprudencc Oh the part
Of tile Sheriff, Cooper at once walked up to
him md se,zcd him, calling At the same Time
meaning lar Of Iron weighing fifty or sixty
pounds, used as q support to the platform Of
iss sery, 'p5k and nd DaSl, dew ss' the nesnsn sal
The Sheriff and tCoopcr3struesled together,
for little time, Dr. Graham in q mo-
| nnrt rpn1i1ei fGf1cthfnfr rf fhn t,orS1 ~
the situation and called for help. AS the
contest commenced, Cooper demanded Of the
| Sheriff his pistol, but getting no response he
changed his demand to a threat 10 kill the
Sheriff unless he gave up the pistol. Eortu~
nately he was able to tell Cooper that lie had
such was the case Cooper released the
Sheriff, seized his bar and rushed to the outer
grated door, aud commenced batteriug at tie
lock, with q purpose Of bursting it oil. DR..
Gralan,'s cry for help was heard by Mrs.
Jennings, who sounded the alarm at the onter
door Of the Jail, and such men rs were on the
street hurried to the rescue. The Court House
bell was ruDg and . crowd Of somc two hun
| drCd men we're soon on the spot, The first
men that entered the jail, closed the wooden
door which shut close uron the one from
which Cooper was atten,rlin. to batter the
lock. With Just as much force ns they were
able 10 hold the wooden door upon the other,
just so much was the force Of Coopcr's blows
truitless. Deputy Sheriff Buck arriving at the
Jail, loudly called for pistol, aud Cooper
hearing and recognizing his voice, slipped
back into the prison, throwing his bar With
In terrible rage at his defeat aud cursed his
coWarlIy conIederates in the most blasphe.
nous manner. His face WAS white with pas
sion and his eyes became bloodshot with dc
was transformed into hideous f1cnd, ant
several OF the prisoners skunk into their cells
covered By the dcmonine department OF til,
ballcd murderer. When Cooper withdrew
aud gave up Ills attempt to escape, the sher
it and Dr.. Graham retired from the prison
Jack Couper.
It was found upon examining the loci
which Cooper had battered, that two OF tht
1 bolts by which 1t was fastened to the lool
! were broken 10osc, but two others {and they
the most yaluab1c) were scarcely looscned
and The lock was not in any other respect
harmed. flnd the other prisoners Joinet
Cooper with the yisor and desperation ht
manifested, the result Of the attempt wou1t
doubtless have been different. Had Cooper
succeeded iu forcing the door, the man WHO
stood In his way would have paid the for
felt Of his life for. his temerity. After tht
damaged l9ek had been repaired aud III.
red to being put in his cell and acted . lit
tie as Il he Wns "spoiIing for light" Sher
Jennings, however, ealmed him down AMI
locked him up Tor the night. Before doinf
20 hc searched him and found upon him twt
knives, with two blades each. Cooper re
fueed 10 tell how hc came in possession O
them, but 1t Is thought probable they had d
scme time been given him by some Of thos
who have expressed sympathy for him. Lam
guage hardly affords censnre strong enougl
i 10 condemn such an act.
Sheriff Jennings will not, we trust, b
called upon to 20 through another scene sim
liar 10 that Of Sunday night. Any measure
that can be devised or are necessary for tn
safe keeping Of the prisoner are entirely Jus
tIfiable and should be freely used.
| THE EXECUTION,
AS before stated, is to take place upon Apri
asth, being Friday Of the present week. III
gallows Is to be erected in the southeast cor
ner of the Jail. Before being put up som
repairs were required upon 1t, which arc noy
about completed. The rope used In the exc
cution Of Dir. uuches is expected to do ser
vice On this occasion. We arc assured tia
every arrangement necessary to ensure tn
fulflment Of the sentence OF the law Is |
progress. aud that the strictest official vigil
aucc will be exercised to the last.