The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1878-07-13
sToRmING A JAIL.
kansas City Times. !

A bold and successful Jail robbery was
few nights ago in Liberty,
the county seat of Clay county. 1t is
one oil the most daring events OF the sea-
SOD, and NJ fair sample of the reckless
desperation of the horse-thief organiza-
ton upon this border. 1t WAS about 8
O'Clock at night when four strangers rode
up to the Court House, beneath which ID
the County Jail. They made very little
noise and attracted no unusual attention.
They lei an extra horse by the bride.
and, alter dismounting, hitched their
horses near the Court House. Itappears
that there was q school exhibition OF
some kind being held at hall some dis.
lance from the Jail, and large proper
ton OF the people Of the city, together
with those in charge OF the Jail, had gone
to see the entertaihment. This left the
Jail totally uniafdo2.
The prisonr % ir the Jail were three in
number, ~ eboi gea with murder and
the tiii-S ,tsh o.se-stealing. The first
OF the aree Xas John b. Sweeney.
cba, With murder of John Fuller. four
IS s,sr .ss from Liberty, some weeks
N e, who had been arrested OF Mis-
.of eity on suspicion. The second was
old Irishman named Patrick Ryan, q
.ailroad trackmau, who killed Q man
named Riley in Clay county in 1869.
He escaped arrest ct the time Of the kill
ing, and was absent and his whereabouts
unknown for about eight years. when he
returned to Clay county and surrendered
himself for trial. He has been in jail
for many months awaiting termination
Of his case. The third person was the
man wanted by tho four armed men.
His name is George Hume, and is charged
with stealing q horss from farmer
named John Veal, residing near Arnold
Station. four miles from this city. Hume
was caught with the horse in his posses
sion, ana was put in the Clay County
Jail to await the trial.
The four strangers were we'll provided
with cold -chisels and hammers, and went
to work ON the locks Of the jail door with
such will and scientific skill that they
were soon in the interior, and announced
to the prisoners that they were free. All
four were armed with Winchester rifles
and revolvers, and rode first.olass horses.
They seemed to be we'll acquainted with
the horse-thief Hume, and laughingly
congratulated him on his release. After
releasing the three prisoners, the four
strangers rode quietly out of town with
out discovery. Now comes the strangest
part Of this affair. Thetwo men charged
with murder, after walking about the
town enjoying the cool evening breezss,
went back to their cells and went to bed,
both refusing to be released until after
their trial. The first notification of the
jail delivery was given by them to the
authorities between eight and nine
O'Clock in the morning. A prompt effort
was then made to trail and pursue the
bold Jail robbers, and scouting parties
went out In all directions in search, but
thus far without any success. The two
men accused OF murder are still at liberty
and promenade the streets at will. return.
ing to the Jail regularly for food. 1t 10 sur
missed that the four men who bursted the
jail doors are part of the great horse
shisf combination which has 80 Ions
carried on Wholesale system OF horse
stealing on the Western border.
At three O'Clock yesterday afternoon
large Hre was raging in the woods nea
CISCO. and IL spread to such an extern
that il was feared the G. p. snow shed
would be fred. The telegraph line
were affected for time so that they di
not operate very we'll, but by the timel
arrival of the water train the fiery ele
mont WAS stopped before it could cate
the snow sheds or do any serious damsg
to the telegraph line.
P. S.-Latter advices are to the effec
that the snow sheds near Emegrant Ga
are on fire and that the flames we're q
fierce that the fire train was not able
subdus them very readily. No dout
the trains will be delayed several hou,
because OF the confagration. No pa
ticulars II Reno Journal 7th.