The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-04-18

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Coming up town on Sunday evening about
half past seven o'clock, We saw crowd of people
running on Madison street toward the iron bridge,
IN hot pursuit, We were told in reply to hurried
inquiries, Of several persons that had broke Jail.
Some boys on the bridge said q man had run up
the tow path on the west bank Of the side-cut,
and Others were rs confident they had seen u
man dodge southwark into Colwell, Clark g. Co.'S
lumber yard. 1t was just dark enough to make
every appearance deceptive, and the prisoners
having y few minutes the start, easily eludcd
pursuit
Going toward the Jail, we were told that the
jailor and his wife had been fearfully beaten if
not killed by the prisoners while the Waterman
had been gagged and choked to death. On clos
er enquiry, however, We found things not quite
as bad as that, though bad enough
The prisoners who escaped were three notori-
Gus hard cases, known as PLUCK Whalen," Ed.
Morris and William Riley, all of whom were in
Jail for robbing freight ear on the g., r. ]. &
Railroad two months ago, as mentioned at the
time. The way of their escape was about this:
The Waterman (who, at this particular time, was
James King) has his place at the door inside
except such as are locked up in cells. OF course
the Waterman is liable to be sczed at any mo-
meut by Il powerful man, knocked down or gag
gcd and rendered helpless, the only chance of
giving an alarm to those on the outside being in
yell or scream before losing the use OF his wca-
sand. On this occasion, the watchman was SELF
ed by the throat by Whalen, powerful man, and
chOkcd until Morris and Riley had cifcctualy
gagged him by examining towel into his mouth.
Then the three used an iron bar that had been
passed to them surreptitously from the outside
in prying open the wicket of the inner door,
which enabled them to reach the paddock which
fastened it on the outside, which they opened
with skeleton key they had made with wire
taken from q broom in the Jail. This admitted
them to little hall, some by 9 feet, at the end
of which there IS another strong plank door.
leading to the outer hall and outside world,
When in this little hall they gave the usual sig
nal (rattling the wicket which the Waterman
gives when he wants thc jalor to appear. The
jailor answered it instantly, pealiing in through
a hole in the outer door and seeing all apparent.
ly right inside, unlocked the door and walked in.
As he did 50 he was fellcd by powerful blow or
blows from one or all Of the prisoners, and render
ed horS du combat while the prisoners lodged out
Of the open door leading to the outer world. As
they passed the Threshold the wife of the Tailor
seized Morris by the coat tail and held on to him
crying out Justify for help, but she also was in
stauty felcd by blow; and the prisoners, leap
ing over the fence made of, apparently down the
alley directly west Of the court house. In five
minutes twenty men were in hot pursuit but as
already intimatcd, they were soon out of sight
and the last heard Of them thus far is that an
hour or 90 later they crossed the canal bridge
near the "Pralric Grocery"
The TAILOR and his wife, though stunned by the
blows they received, were not seriously hurt.
The sheriff has several men besides 4 host Of
detectives engaged in looking up the fugtiyes,
and is sparing no effort or expense to secure
their rc-arrcst.
The harbarously nonscnsical feature connected
with The present management Of our Jail is, that
the Waterman is compelled to stay inside with
the prisoners, where he is at all times liable to be
fallen upon, kaockcd down, aud gagged as in the
present instance. Half dozen similar attempts
on the watchmcn had been made in the last Is
months but each time heretofore happily frus-
trated by the vigilance outside. Sheriff Mcln.
tyre, we are assured is in no way responsible for
this absurd arrangement He has presented the
matter to the Supervisors, but they paid no heed
10 him. Now he has gone TO work and had, at his
ovn expense, a box constructed FOR the watch
man where he can have full command Of the Jail
with a revolver, and vet be out Of reach Of the
prisoners. This ought 10 have been done long
ago. our only a,,onishwcnt j., that under the
old arrangement, person could be found willing
TO take the position Of Waterman 1t any price
But the upshot Of all th, is, that the Jail Is
wholly UNFIT for it, purpose and disgrace 10 the
comfy. The number Of prisoners often reaches
twenty or more and {, seldom les than dozen,
while the entire space they confined in is lit
tie tier than DARK, damp underground hole
some 10 by 80 feet in size, with little reccsscs or
burrows ia the sides called cells. II could
get a grand jury 70 indict the Supervisors for
such a nuisance, We believe the Cir
cult Court would not hesitate a minute 10 sus
tain the indictment aud puni-h 'hc member, ~
the Board for the outrage.