Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-15

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Total. -. 2s, ,os6I s5,lsl
ESTIMATED majorities.
Washburn's majority IL, 155.
ATTEMPTED jail ESCAPE.
Prayer Meeting at the Jail Yesterday AZ
terneon Followed by a Rush OF the Pris-
oners to Escape-A Desperate but Brief
struggle-The Active Mutineers Over
powered and Sent to Solitary Confine-
ment On Bread and Water.
It Is saddening reflection for those who
would fain think we'll of humanity that
there is hypocrisy everywhere-evsn among
those favored individuals who are protected
from the common temptations of the world
within the walls of Ramsey county Jail.
From 3 to o'clock yesterday afternoon q
band of eight or nine Christian ladies of the
city, attended by one brother as escort and
assistant, held the usual Sunday service in
one of the corridors of the Jail. They read
from the scriptures, they prayed and they
sang gospel songs; and the twenty-five pris-
oners listened with appearance of interest
and behaved decorously. As the services
closed the ladies may have felt that their
Jail visitations at last began to promise good
results. But when Jos Spiel, the turnkey,
had unlocked the stout gateway and the Ia
dies were passing through the front corridor,
three of the prisoners who had been most
orderly and had seemed to be impressed
with tho religious spirit of the occasion,
madesa rush through the gateway and, seiz-
ing upon Spiel attempted to force from him
his bunch of keys. As they came upon him
Spiel clapped the keys into his pocket aud
held them there. Tho prisoners choked
him, tried to wrench his hand from his
pocket, knocked him down and kicked him.
One of the prisoners Iran for watchman's
club hanging against the wall but the jan
itor, Richard Reedy, reached it first and
used it with good effect on the head of one
of the mutinesrs. At this moment Sheriff
Kings voice was heard outside and the three
prisoners sullenly gave up their attempt to
escape.
1t was all over in less than minute, but
for that time the scene passed description.
The poor women, budding, screaming and
trying to keep out of the
struggle; the group of more
than score of prisoners inside the opened
grating, slowly pushing forward and eagerly
watching the doings of their comrades; Joe
Spiel, down, but kicking, scratching, biting
and calling for help, holding his right hand
doggedly in the pocket with the keys; the
three prisoners, cussing little, breathing
hard, and striving with all their might to
conquer the turnkey; then the janitor's di-
version with the club and the voice of the
sheriff, showing the prisoners that the out
side hallway was obstrcuted.
The outer door was unlocked and the
praying band hastily departed as the sheriff
entered. The other prisoners all promptly
obeyed the order to retire to their cells and
were locked in. The three men who made
the rush on Spiel are known as William
King, John Murphy and John Kennedy.
They were sent to the jail here for safe
keeping from Hennepin county, where
they are accused of larceny,
which will send them to the State
prison. They have been in prison before
and are among the hardest of hard cases.
King, the largest of the three, was the one
who used Spiel the roughest and was also the
ono whom Reedy struck on the head with
the watchman's club. These three men
were taken to more secure cells than they
have occupied, where they will be separately
confined, on bread and water, for week or
two, without being allowed the range of the
inner corridors, which is allowed to well-be-
haved prisoners. They made little show
of resistance to the threatened punishment,
but their resistance was easily suppressed.
Spiel was not much hurt. His face was
scratched and bruised, his arm and body
bruised by the kicks he received, and his
shirt collar and bosom were about torn away
but he was able to assist in locking up his
assailants and appeared to enjoy the assist
ing in taking care of them.
No such desperate attempt to break from
the Ramsey county Jail has been made fol-
years. The time for the attempt was well
chosen. There was but one turnkey on
duty, the presence of the visiting women
favoring the rush; the sheriff and his
deputies were not likely to be in the Office or
hallway; and at that hour of Sunday there
would be few people and perhaps no police.
men On the streets of the vicinity. There il
reason to believe that some of the other
prisoners were in the plot to escape, and il
is certain that had the three who attacked
Spiel Esucceeded in getting hold of the
key to the other door probably dozen o1
them would hava followed the rush through
the hallway or Office to liberty. Sheriff
King, with Spiel and Resdy, might have
stopped one OR two by using pistols or clubs
but it would have been impossible for them te
have peevented the escape of a number, if the
rush had been continued with the desperate
determination with Which it was begun. Joe
Spiel's obstinate endurance Of punishment
Reedy's good luck in getting first to the
club, and the sheriff's fortunate presence il
his Office, prevented the we'll planned an6
well timed scheme of the rsscals from sue
ceeding.
Brethren William King, John Murphy ani
John Kennedy, it is safe to say, will not at
tend the next prayer meeting in the Jail
Whatever of religious instruction or conso
lation they receive next Sunday will have t.
be passed in to them with their allowances
of bread and water through the gratings o,
their cells. When next they are allowed t,
60 to meeting they will be apt to 60 will
meeker though not contrite hearts. The,
are tough cases, prayers with whom ough
always to be backed with clubs.
Ladies' Hand Knit Jackets-Misses' Hant
Knit Jackets.
Ladies', Gents and Ohildren's hand kni
Scarfs at W. B. Rowell & Co.'s, Sherman