The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-03-30
ESCAPE FROM yATL

1880 @ASAA SSCelfo LOA the ta.4A OF tnlb
county. Parks, it will be remembered,
killed a man named Rainey, at saulsbury
Bird stole horse from g. 7. Patrick, and /
Todd figured in the celebrated lock game |
which transpired at Grand Junction, a few /
weeks since. Owing TO the remarkable /
manner of escape Of the accused trio, we /
deem it not out of place to note the Incl |
dents Herewith connected, and when It is |
considered that our jail is one of the best
and most secure in the State, it viii be seen
that almost superhuman exertions were
made and fund Of ingenuity brought into
requisition The men were confined IN what
is known as the upper cell, or cage, which
Is about fourteen feet square, the walls of
which are composed Of solid oak timbers.
eight inches square, placed in an upright
position, and at intervals Of q few inches,
strapped with heavy iron bars, which cross
and recross each other, so as to form per-
feet net work The south and north walls
Of the cage each have an opening, left for
the purpose Of admitting light, about four
feet high by six inches wide formed by
saving of one of the uPrights which is mar
rover than the rest. On either side Of the
solid timber facing this opening there is
heavy plate of iron, three-quarters Of an
inch in thickness and fully six inches wide,
firmly fastened with counter-sunk bolts, and
all secured with heavy iron cletes, at once
presenting an impossible barrier save to the
most accomplished and ingenious knave
70, 20 osk NaH IN,
the centre of the upper room. There is a
passage way about four feet wide between
it and the main walls of the building, and
north and south window, barred with sub
stantial solid wrought iron rods. After ma
turing their plans, the prisoners set to work.
Bird was chained to a bolt in the centre of
the prison, but the chain was long enough
to enable him to reach any part of the floor.
A hoop was taken off one of the buckets
usually placed in the room at night; three
oornered file was found hid away in crack,
and with this they made a small saw of the
hoop The place selected for their secret
work was one admirably suited to the occa-
sion Eighteen inches below the ceiling of
the cage, and just above one Of the heavy
irOR bands that held the solid plate to the
upright facing the aperture, for night and
day they busily applied the little file, first
cutting the iron facing six inches wide, then
the bolts, and then the eight inch timber
Lastly, about one foot of the iron band, or
clete, was cut off, with which the iron plate
was wrenehed from its place, the upper part
of the upright taken out and hole formed
| of sufficient size to admit their passage
Having reached the space between the
outer wall of the cage and the main walls
Of the ROOM they worked rapidly and eau
tiously at the yielding bricks and mortar
! beneath the window-islL After picking a
hole large enough to pass through, they took
the chain which embelished the leg of Bird,
wrapped it with strips torn from a wooden
blanket, fastened it to the bars above; to
the chain they attached their blankets, and
with ease and safety lowered themselves to
! the coveted ground below. OF course they
never stopped to make geological exami-
nation of that particular spot but made all
haste to safer quarters. From pretty good
| information, we are led to believe that they
made their escape from Jail before eleven
o'clock, as three men got upon the north
ward bound ll:30 train the same night, and
in such manner as to lead one to believe
that all was not right They paid their fair
after the train was in motion, and are, no
doubt many miles from this place to-day.
Before leaving letter was written to the
jailor, and which, for the sake of novelty,
we print below. It was evidently written
by Todd We hope he will excuse US for
correcting bad spelling. and pardon us if we
suggest that he should devote much of his
time to Webster's smallest sized words.
Here is the letter:
! NJ apcrr rup IQG7