The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-12-14
ESCAPED.

--~---s
renr Arkanaas murdeEers, who were
Arrested la Texas Lnst sprinR ana
Returned 90 Arkanena, Escape from
Prison ANA Aro DOubflnss Again an
Their Way 90 rms state.
In the latter part Of March last John
Hkeln, William Skeln, Jake Kelly and
William Lesueur, four white men,
rode into the town OF EIdorado, Union
county, Arkansas, and, dismountlng,
went Into a saloon and began drink.
Ing. While In the saloon John ekein
had difficulty with negro, and dur,
ing the row was KNOCKED down by the
darby. ByHtanders then interfered and
atopped the fight. Going out OF the
saloon TO the street, Skeln rallied his
followers, and they, mounting their
horses, declared war on the negroes In
the town. The negroes also armed
themselves, and fight ensued, dur
ing which two negroes were killed
and two or three wounded. The
Skeln party then rode rapidly out OF
town, In a northwest direction, to-
wards the town of Lisbon. The gov
ernor OF Arkansas offered one thou.
sand dollars reward each for their
capture, and the police OF the city
were notified OF the occurrence, II
being though at the time they would
come to Texas The superstition proved
correct, and a short while afterwards,
on the fourth Of April (Mardi Gras
day., Marshal Morton arrested the
Skein brothers In this city, and they
were conveyed back to Arkansas.
Kelly and Leseuur were arrested In u
neighborlng county about the same
time, and they were also sent back to
the state In which the crime was COM
mitted. The four were tried at the
October term OF the court ut Edo
RADIO, Union county, the grand jury
falling to agree on verdict. The
prisoners were remanded back to Jail
where they remained till ten days ago.
when general jail delivery took place
at Eldorado, and they escaped.
From the Eldorado (Arkansas) Eagle
OF December 9Th, we clip the annexed
statement of the mode of escape and
flight of the prisoners after they sue
ceeded in getting out Of prison, as told
by the turnkey, b. r. Matthews:
The undersigned went to the Jail to
feed the prisoners at noon, and 80 soon
as the door was opened to pass the
dinner In (there being no place suili.
GENTLY large to feed prisoners through
William Skeih, backed by John Skein
and the other two white prisoners,
Jake Kelly and William Lesueur,
forced his way through the door, each
OF the skeins presenting cooked pis
tol at me, ordering me to throw up my
hands, declaring that they had moth.
ing against me, but that 1t was mat
ter of life and death with them, and
that they must avail themselves OF
the fret opportunity to escape
They pulled and pushed me inside of
the prison, searched me for weapons,
passed themselves and the darkies out,
locked me up, laid the Key to the inner
prison down, made me deliver the
key to the lower door to them, and
walked out, and am told by citizens
that they mounted themselves on
horses and rode off in o western direc.
ton. 1t is supposed that the pistols
were obtained from the roof of the
house through the chimney and stove
pipe. b. r MATTHEW'S.
Captain Matthews was released by
Mrs. Lesueur, the mother of one OF the
prisoners, who had accompanied him
as usual to the Jail. After leaving the
Jail the negroes went toward the tim
Der on the south side Of town while
the white men walked boldly to the
rack at the southwest corner OF the
square and three of them selected aud
mounted horses, but the other one
went to the rack In front of the post
Office, and got a horse. They oil then
rode of In the direction OF Lisbon.
Lisbon Is the same direction which
the murderers went on their first es>
cape In the spring. Their destination
again, undoubtedly, is Texas, and they
are oy TINS time in the state, nut they
will very probably give Dallas the go
by, in view of the fact that the leaders,
John and William Skein were arrested
here on their former visit, after they
had been in the city but one day. All
four of the men are said to be desper.
ate characters, and 1t will be well for
the officers in this portion OF the state
to keep a sharp lookout for them.