The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-06-11
Another lack SheOpard.


From the Portage City Register.
John Hays alias Barger, having gained
considerable notoriety by his exploits in
the Columbia County Jail, another chapter
may not be undressing:
On Saturday last, Hays was tried and
convicted of demonstrating, in the circuit
court now in session in this city. Ii was
upon this charge that he has been confined
in Jail for the past year. Previous to the
trial, Sheriff Sorrenson deemed il proper
TO remove the heavy irons which have
adorned the prisoner for the past six months
and allow him to "face the music before
the court and jury free from everything
tending to prejudice his case. The trial
over Hays vas conveyed TO his old quarters
10 await his sentence, prior TO taking
lodgings ia the State Prison. The inter-
val between the conviction and sentence
proving to be short, the Sheriff did not
deem IL essential TO call to his assistance
the entire blacksmith fraternity in order to
hold him, and he was accordingly allowed
the freedom of his cell seven-by-nine
pigcon-hole, lined throughout with heavy
boiler-iron riveted and spiked in a thor
ough manner. This was precisely the pro-
gramme which Hays had been anticipating
for two months past, and for which he had
laid his plans and applied all his ingenuity
and energy to meet. The sequel explains
his desire for a "postponement of his trial
for a day or two longer, ON account Of the
absence ofan important witness. As we
said before, for two months he has worked
diligently to make his escape. During
that time, with q common wrought iron
nail he succeededin drawing IL three-quar-
ter by four inch bolts that held boiler plate
to the 2x4 inch stuff, set up edgewise,
which forms the floor. The plate removed
he improvised a chisel from a small two
inch bolt, and applied hinself. day after
day, TO cutting through the solid four-inch
floor. and succeeded in making an aper.
ture 8 or 10 Inches wide by 2 feet in length.
His tools, and the rubbish, we're secreted
under the floor, and the iron plate and
bolts were Of course always in their places
on the approach of the officers of the jail.
All things being ready ,on Monday night
last Hays concluded to eight out He
carefully removed the lath and plastering,
lowered himself through the vent and
landed squarely an a bunk occupied by an
other prisoner in the cell below. With q
small wire he poiselessly unlocked the cell
door, without waking the inmate passed
to the ward door, unlocked that also in the
hNAAAlN why hNnN W nv bBIAnAAb W. VI
the Jail and picked the lock Of another
door admitting him to the ward in which
the outside door ia located. This door
proved too much Of a barrier, however, and
Hays after all his labor, was doomed TO
disappointment. In vain did he labor TO
unlock, unhinge and pry opon, until day
light appeared and the inmates Of the jail
began 20 move about the premises. Dis
gusted and detected, he proceeded upstairs
and, unlocking another door with his wire,
laid down with a fellow prisoner, where he
was found by Sheriff S~orrenson, who greet
ed him in q most welcome manner But
Hays couldn't see il, and refused TO return
the compliment.
On being found, as above stated, he was
heavily ironed, thoroughly searched, and
confined in an adjoining cell from his old
quarters, excluded, of course. from all the
other prisoners in the Jail. On Wednes-
day morning soon after the Sheriff and
Deputy-Sherif Kprner had left the Jail, to
attend TO their duties in the Court room.
Hays took it into his head 10 go on a pros.
pecting tour, and 10 see as he expressed il,
what the devil allied that outside door. -
Accordingly in some mysterious, unac-
countable manner, he unlocked the cell
door, opened the adjoining one, passed
down through the rat-hole again, unlocked
two more doors, and wa making his pill.
grimage to the opposite side, when Mrs.
KGrner heard somebody scratching round
in there, and mistrusting it TO DO Hays,
made an alarm and sent for the officers,
who found the young a playing "seyen-
up with a fellow-prisoner, AZ "cool as q
cucumber, or words to hat effect.
A heavy log chain was that day placed
upon the prisoner and. as far as heard from
he is still in dumnce vile, yet the Sheriff
expects nothing but to wake up some fine
morning and find the Jail outdoors entire.
ly."
II is proper 10 state that the locks in the
Jail we're supposed to be perfect In all res
pects. They are large and strong, and il
requires great strengthto reverse the wards
with the keys. The Sheriff and other.
have practiced with the wire used, and cal
make no headway whatever, yet Hays car
open them at will.
Hays is yet less than 81 years of age.
During his incarceration in the Jail in thii
city, he has displayed rare genius, and i
properly applied, he would undoubtedly
take high rank among the inventors ofth,
age.