The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-02-07
ESCAPE OF FIVE PRISONERS.
A CcuntN Jail Without Roarderp.
connivaHce Of Outside Parties -Aa Implies
tlng Letter "A Doctor In search Of his fs-
tiont--Ruli Particulars.


On Wednesday night last, Eve pris-
oncrs, awaiting trial for crimes com.
mitted iu this county, effected their
escape from tho county jail 10 a mas
ncr a-h Morgan. Three Of them
named Siddel, bennington and
Moore, were incarceratcd for horse
stealing, and the other iwo--Smith
snd Caldwell, for burglary. 1t sec ms
they took the same plan Of escape as
did a prisoner some years ago, during
the administration of Sheriff weirick,
by tunpeling. after making a hole
through tho floor TO the ground.-l
Since the abortivc ottempt of that
prisoner, the cell has been kept lock.
cd and unoccupied, until IL was un
locked, by some means, by these en-.
terprising, latter.day prisoners. AZ
ter elfectiug communication with the
ground, through the hole ia the door
of the cell we speak Of, which is on
the north side Of tho Jail, they com.
menced tunneling to get down to the
foundation, through which they dug
a hole about fifteen inches square
Considering the solidity Of the frozen
ground, they must have toiIsd faith.
fully in the stiffness Of more than one
night. The exact time of their es-
cape is not known, but II must have
been near twelve o'clock, after the
snow had ceased falling, for their
tracks were plain in the snow. 1t is
believed that an outsider was engaged
in assisting the occupants Of the Jail,
fIom the fact that tracks were OBJ
served, by our reporter who was the
first upon tho ground, going TO and
returning from wood pile and
stick Of cord wood lying near the hole
was very evidently used to break the
crust of ground from above. There
are other evidences of outside press
ure. The hole in the surface of the
ground, was forty Eve inches in cir
cumfcrcnce, and from its direction be-
low, the escapcrs laid themselves on
their backs in coming out. Two Of
the prisoners wore locked in one cell,
and tho other three we're each in sep
arate apartments, but all were libera.
ted 10y sumo ingenious contriyancc,
for each cell lock required different
kev while Mr.. WM. RINEnERoER,
the present. jailor, found his own keys
Ni;are he had placed them
on retiring to bed.
The following is a copy, rer5dt'm
of a letter leit for the cd
iicatiou of the landlord of tho e.'oss-
barred hotel The chirogrophy wasl
II reads as follows.
JANuERY -----, ,1S67.
I suppose you will bo. after wanting
to know how we got out and what we
got out with. That is best known to
ourselves, but | can tell you one
thing, aud that is this You have al
man in your community that you all
think is an honest man but thealways
told us that he would help us out, or
tell us how to make it, ard he has
been as good as his word. 1 don't
know why he always talked so unless
he thought he would make so,no mon.
ny in the operation. lie ia living in
your midst and doing business in your
city every night, and you all thiuk |
him an honest man and good officer.
| will not tel. you his name, you can !
guess at that part Of it yourselves,
aud theu you cant blame any one for
telling it. This is onoughffor-you TO
.hink over until you see me again.
Yoars truly, "old Soapsticks " and
Slabsides,n am sorry | have got
o leave my good landlord he is a
inc old man aud good liver, and he
ecds his boarders well, aud | am in
lobt for my board MS all the rest of
ny fellow boardcrs are, | hope that
iou will excuse mo for this time, and
Ill my bad spolling You will al.
ways hnd mo your humble seravant
Please don't show this to any one for
| am such q poor wrighter, and !
don't want this to come under the no
lice of the public eye. Good day,
one eyed John, But this is eyed
Reilley, your humble scarvant, One
eyed Reilley is always on hand for a
drunk or spree,
Good bye to all inquiring friends
There was no signature.
The usual number of rumors are
oaoat given by parties who have visi
ted the jail, as 10 the manner in which
their escape was accomplished,
As additional evidence of conni-
vance by outside parties, q letter,
sometime ago, was found lying on the
window ledge outside, placed there BY
one Of the prisoners, TO he received BY
his brother. The substance of it was
direction to said brother, to furnish
him with awateh spring with which
to make a saw. The doeu ent, how
ever, fell into the hands Of the jailor
instead Of the party for which it was
intended, Nt
After freeing themselves from tho
jail, the prisoners took down the al.
ley between the Jail and the residence
Of Mr., sullivan, aud coming out on
Market street, the trail was lost in
the Travelled road, but it Is supposed