The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-05-02

send Won. II. =. W.
REPORT OF THE FEDERAL COURT JURY Upon
THE KANAwIIA COUNTY JAIL DELIVERY,
PRESENTED APRIL 26TH, 1870.
We. the Grand Jury, would respect
fully state that for several days past we
have been engaged by careful exam
nation into the circumstances attending
the recent escape of George NJ. White
law, an United States prisoner held for
trial, from the Jail of Kanawha county.
We have diligently examined a large
number Of witnesses and the evidence
civen hv them satisfies us of the fol-
lowing facts:
The prisoner. George NJ. Whitclaw,
charged with passing counterfeit legal
tender notes, was arrested about the list
of February and had his final cXamina-
ton before an United States Commits
Siomcr week ur ten days before his
escape. Prior to his examination two
strangers appeared i'll Charleston, who
claimed to br attorneys and relatives OF
the prisoner, and residents of Browns
Vile tennessee These men were per
mittcd bv the jailor TO have several
private interviews with the prisoner in
side the Jail, at which no one else was
present or cognizant Of the conversation.
On the day before these men left the
town. which was about one week prior
to the escape, one Of them stated to a
witness who dcposedt to the fact, that the
prisoner had said that the jailor could
he induced to be absent from the Jail be-
tween the hours of twelve and three
o'clock T.. VI, he could effect his escape.
On the second of March. 1870, three
strangers were seen in the rear of the
iail making signs toward it, a. if COM
municating to some person inside; this
was, as nearly as can he asccrtaincd,
about two O clock in the afternoon Not
far from the same time three strangers
were seen approaching the front door
Of the jail which is toward the Court
House and is the only entrance, and
were seen to enter the Jail.
1t also appears that three men did
enter the jail, having first unlocked an
iron door; called for George VI. White
law, unlocked his cell and that OF a
State prisoner Manned Cox: the priS-
oncrs came out; the cells were re-locked
and the strangers with the prisoners
went out and locked the door of the
Jail. and drove q wooden plug into the
kev-holc Of the lock The Jail is sub
Stantial stone building, having iron
cells, or cages, built inside, leaving a
massage wav or hall around them The
locks used upon the outer doors of the
prison, a. upon the doors Of the cells,
are patent locks, six in number, each
lock being marked with q number, and
having its individual KEY hearing the
same number The entrance is guarded
bv two doors, one solid, Of heavy iron,
opening outwards; and another heavy
iron grating, opening inward-.
On the day of the escape the jailer
left the jail about O'Clock P. NJ,
leaving the outer door unlocked, and
did not return until about / clock P.
NJ, after he had been Informed of the
escape
The inner or iron grating door was
fastened by lock Number ~, d and
g. were on the doors OF cells occupied
bv Whitelaw and Cox. We have
found from testimony and hy actual
experiment that the key to lock No.
60 will unlock Nos. - and 63.
We find also that when these locks
were actually opened for the release of
the prisoners, the unlocking was all
done by one man apparently with the
same KEY, which ratified like an iron
one, and that the locks were opened and
closed again a. expeditiously and with
rs much apparent ease a was usual
with the jailer. This was done quietly.
without apparent excitement or haste,
and the three men who released the
prisoners seemed to feel secure from in
terruptiOn. They were armed with
revolvers but offered no violence to anv
one, nor did they make any threats.
All of the family of the jailor who re-
manned at home were in the house adj
joining the Jail, in which he resides.
the doors being shut and no one stirring
about the premises during the whole Of
this transaction.
Shortly after their release. the pris-
oner Cox. and il is believed. Whitclaw