The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-24

were peculiarly fortunate, In that they just %
capped small gas pipe In the air duct to remove
which to enable them to get through this hole
would have been necessary had their hole been
cut two inches further to the north! They just
escaped it. Inside the air duct, too, was piece
OF board left by the nasons, which had fallen
and lodged at an angle OF As degrees, the lower
edge firm on projection in the wall just where
the prisoner wanted to stand 70 force his way by
kick into the corridor on the south side!
From the air duct to the hallway at the floor
is an opening protected by frail castiron net
work, which a man could readily break in pieces
with kick, giving him an opening into the hall
st least 1S by "a inches. Thus by crawling
through the hole into the air duct and dropping
down about five feet and then through the hall
ventilator, the men were in the hall OF the jail
and could reach any OF It's halls and the corridors
surrounding the cells. Before leaving their cells
they secured the rope that held the bottom OF
their bed to its frame, and also blanket. With
these they proceeded to the story above, and just
to the south OF the west window began work on
the outer wall OF the building, is inches thick.
This also was pierced, the brick and mortar be-
ing piled UP on the blanket. The rope was tied
TO the iron bars of the window; the men craw!ed
through slid down the rope, and were OIL!
Along about O'Clock IN the morning one OF
the prisoners on the lower floor succeeded ~
waking up the sheriff, who sleeps in the north
east corner Of the building, when the story came
out II is thought the men could not have been
gone then over Is or 20 minutes, as their noise
had not cease much before that time. The other
for hpiD
steel bars from the south section OF the floor
could only get out by cutting similar series OF
holes on their side of the house. If more men
had been in the south side they too must needs
have cut holes through the boilerron walls and
work their way also to the air duct.
The work was evidently not that of one night
only They had undoubtedly put in many
good days work on the ron.work. Examining
the holes after they became visible the lines
where the saw had been at work showed soap,
with which their work had been filled up as they
went along. Along the lines, too, OF the hole
into the air duct are the remnants of yellow pa
per strips which had been pasted over the places
cut, and the walls being painted yellow. the blind
was perfect in either case!
The sheriff at once took steps to secure the
arrest Oh the mcn hnU TcWhTus WcTS OHcTcu lOI
their capture. Whether there will be success
remains to be seen.
The worst beat men are tie members OF the
building committee. But they insist that the
iron contractor has been at fault and cheated
them in spite OF the close watch kept of his
work. in that the iron and steel bars were omit.
ted contrary to the specifications In front of the
wall Of the cir duct, which made weak spot
so far as known-in the jail. This throws the
responsibility upon the iron man, who should be
cited to answer instanter.
The joke is decidedly on Nate Mclntire, of
Ransom. Nate, of course, being on the commit
tee, got telegram about the escape. The vii
lage soon knew all about it. As he rushed to
take the train, fellow townsman hailed him:
81 say, goin' to Ottawaw eyes" "Hear the
new jail has been broken?" "Yes." swell, fore
you start get q hammer and take along few
nails and nail the thing up tight, SO they can't
do it againp' The town smiled audibly. And
so did Mac.
Now the question is, what are you going to do
about it?
OTTAWA, June 23d, 1882.
To Geo. w. armstrong, Chairman, and Others OF
the Building Committee for building County Jail
for La Sale County, at Otta,ca, Ill.,:
GENTLRMEN-Having been called upon as al
chitect to decide what was the cause OF the la tie