Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-12
MONSTERS AT LARGE.
Extraordinary Case Of JaiI-Break
ing at Atlanta.

ing at Atlanta.
One Of the most remarkable and
skillful instances of jail-breaking
for many years has just been
brought to light in Atlanta. The
jail at Atlanta is one of the strong
est in the South. The men who
made their escape were Gus John
sou, the notorious murderer from
Floyd county, awaiting the execu-
ton of a death sentence, passed
upon him for the murder of a ne.
gro man in Rome some months ago.
The other was Shaw, the Baldwin
county wife murderer. The two
we're kept together at Johnson's re-
quest, in the same cell-No. IL on
the lower floor, north side and east
ern corner of the Jail.
In the corner Of the cell was a
loose place in the plank flooring,
laid over iron beams in the shape of
7 rails lying upon their sides, but
much thinner than railroad iron,
being about quarter or three
eighths of an inch in thickness. Be-
tween each bar of iron is a three
inch beam of wood. This loose
point in the wood flooring was made
by 0'Neal, a murderer hung some
years ago, in an effort to effect his
escape. johnson and Shaw skill
fully removed about four square
feet of this flooring. They then cut
about eighteen inches in length of
enc Of the wooden beams, and with
a saw severed in two places,
eighteen inches apart, one of the
heavy iron beams, saving the bar
so nicely that the plane of the cut
was as smooth as though made by
the best workman with the most
approved tools. Through the hole
thus made they were enabled to de-
scend to a close basement under the
cell, of the same dimensions with
1t, except that it was about five feet
from the ground to the floor above.
Here they concealed the wood aud
iron and their implements of labor
safe from all possible detection,
however thorough the search.
Tunnelling out was now the pro-
gramme, and beginning close down
to the wall, in the decline to its foot
left by the builders, it was easy to
reach the lower line of the masonry
The dirt taken from the tunnel was
safely disposed of in the basement
alluded to. They worked with a
pocket-knife, probably, and a sharp
ened stick, and succeeded in max
ing hole under the wall and up
the outside toward the surface. On
Thursday night they burrOwed cut,
and Immediately against the wall.
The hole was large enough to admit
of the easy passage of their bodies.
They could come under the wall by
turning upon their backs and pull
ing through. This they evidently
did when making their escape.
While at work they used impro-
vised garments, made of parts Of
their blankets. These they would
put on below in the basement after
descending naked from the cell.
When they yreturned to the cell they
left the work-clothing behind and
washing thoroughly, put on their
ordinary garments. Thus they
kept up appearances, and no evil
dence that they were engaged in
the enterprising business of min
ing. Part of their working uni
forms they left behind them. What
ever tools they had they carried
with them. After reaching the
outside they went around to the
south side of the Jail yard and
about the middle of the fence threw
"a blanket to the spikes which adorn
the high incloSure. By the aid of
this and some planks they scaled
the fence, coming down on the op-