Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-10-03

William Henry and George Anderson.
convicted Of burglary and sentenced to
five years each at the State Prison. grew
confidential when Sheriff Williamson
was taking them down to Carson, and
told him some things that had been
going on in the Jail, and OF tho en-.
dsavors made by the prisoners to escape.
Henry said that he himself had been
the chief mechanic Of tho jail gang. He
made the mold and tried to cast the key.
The impression was gained BY first
making a round stick with . hole in 1t,
the stick being the size OF the key stem.
The hole was dsepensd and enlarged
till 1t was OF sufficient size to sccommo-
date the center pin OF the key.hole.
Then soap was attached to the stick and
Il was run in aud pressed gently to have
the guards make their impressions In
the soap. In this way tho exact I'm
preston OF the key was obtained. From
this impression Q wooden key was made.
This was the pattern from which the
key wal to have been cast and which
made the impression found when the
mold was captured.
Henry said that he then tried seven
times to cast the key. To get the metal
q blow.pipe was made out OF Q piece OF
tin, the gas was lighted and tinfoil from
tobacco, spoons. copper wire and all
such stuff melted up |; but none OF the
KEYS stood. They were too brittle. The
gang were about to mako another under
more favorable auspices when the de-
scent was made and their apparatus cap
tured.
In answer to the question ss to where
hs learned all these things he said that
he had been engaged in q machine shop
East and then in . blacksmith shop and
had done some st~one-cutting. but would
not acknowledge to ever having been
sent to prison before.
These men said they were compelled
to give up all attempts to cut out be-
cause OF the noise created BY their
efforts. It will be remembered that q
thin case knife. finely tempered and
| edged with saw teeth on both sides, was
found. Anderson declared that he spent
every possible moment OF time for six
weeks to get that kuifs-blads down ~
thin at the back as 1t was at the edge,
and then Henry cut the teeth In 1t.
This man Anderson Is an expert In
iron and said that the plate with holes
in il over the inner door was the worst
thing he had to encounter In his at.
tsmpts to get out. 1t was Of rolled and
chilled iron. the same that safes were
made Of. and 10 they could have got
| through that they could. with the knife
saw which they had made, have cut Of
the ordinary bars in ten minutes.
Their plan Of escape was to cut out
the inner door (where the chilled iron
plates with holes are), spring the outer
door sufficiently for one Of the men who
had q slim hand and arm to soap both
and run them out and open the door.
| Their intention was then to boost each
other up and gain the stairway and make
the grand jury room, then by means OF
the ruODer nose kept III tno WoAfh6hss
make their descent the back way and leg
1t for security. After their saws were
taken from them they intended to use
the key for the inner door and then pur.
sue the same programme. But for the
constant watch kept on them and the
frequent raids and searches they would
surely have succeeded.
Sheriff Williamson takes all Of the
foregoing for what II 10 worth. He
thinks there Is q purpose in It oil. and
that purpose Is to lull the jailor and
himself into fancisd security. because
the master workmen Of the craft are
gone. But he does not intend to be
caught by Ii. He thinks Foley, the man
as To whose guilt the jury had some
| doubt and who Is still confined. to be the
worst man Of the lot; and no vigilance
will DO relaxed as long as he and Tracy
are in confinement in the Jail. But
whether the story Of Henry and Ander-
son be literally true or not 1t states many
facts and furnishes an episode OF prison
| Life on The Comstock worthy OF perusal.