The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-11-16
From the Cambridge Jeffersonian, 1lth inst
ALMOST OUT.
Hess, the HOrseman, Exchanges
the Pen for an Iron Bar and
again Assaults the Jail.

Hess, the HOrseman, Exchanges
the Pen for an Iron Bar and
again Assaults the Jail.
About half past three o'clock, last
Thursday afternoon, the attention of
Mrs. Sheriff Hartley, who was working
at sewing machine in the family room,
was attracted by an unusual noise. Call.
ing the hired girl the two went first up
stairs but, making no discovery, they
approached the Jail proper, when they
heard shuffling sound as of some one
running hastily across the stone floor,
but in moment the noise ceased and
all was still Stepping back they paus-
ed to listen and remained quiet a little
while when the noise first heard was re-,
sumed and they ascertained, certainly,
that something was wrong in the jail
They at once called Deputy Stewart to
their assistance and, when the doors
were opened, John Hess, the horse thief,
was discovered outside of the lattice
work and laboring with might and main
to make an aperture in the outside brick
wall large enough to admit of mis- es-
cape, task he would have successfully
accomplished in few minutes more,
but for the timely interruption. He was
at once secured, ironed and placed in
his cell. and then the officers had time
to examine the progress he had made
and his
PLAN OF OPERATION. e-e.
The shrewd old rascal had his plan
we'll matured. He first took q piece of
strap iron frop the bottom of the cot
in his CELL OF this he made wrench
with which he reached over and un.
crewed the bolts which held the lever
used to open and shut the cell doors
from the outside. He then constructed
loop from another piece of the scrap
iron, reached through the lattice work
and secured it around the upper end of
the lever, which he dexterously drew
through the bars. He was then armed
and equipped with bar of iron little
over four feet long, three inches wide
and over an inch in thickness. With
this he very speedily forced off suffi-
eient number of Stats from the lattice
work to make hole large enough for
him to crawl through. Once in the
outer hall he lost no time, but proceeded
to force out the bricks from the wall at
the north east corner of the building,
and was making very rapid progress
when discovered But course or two
Of brick remained between him and lib,
erty and if he had not beer disturbed
for five minutes longer he would have
had splendid opportunity to have
once more INDUCED in the ruling pas
sion Of his life, as number OF good
horses were hitched to the fence, few
feet from where he would have made
his exit During all the time in which
he was engaged in carrying out his plan
OF escape the other prisoners, Reece and
Moore, kept up loud singing, evident
ly intended to aid him by drowning the
noise and keeping down suspicion that
anything was wrong, and Mrs Hartley
noticed, distinctly, signal given him
by one of these prisoners when she first
approached the Jail door, at which the
noise of his operation suddenly stopped.
His removal from the Jail to securer
quarters, which his conviction ensures,
will be great relief to the Sheriff and
his family. ~ {