Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-20
Bold Escape of a Prisoner from jail and
His Eeeapture.

SONORA, March 19bh.-At o'clock last
night the city was thrown into state of eXs
element by report that Frank Roife. the
Chinese Camp stage rohber. had locked Dep
uty Sheriff George MoQuade in a cell and es-
capped. Fears were entertained that Me-
Quade had been injured. Sheriff Yancey and
large number of citizens hasteaed to the
Jail and found the report true. McQuade
went into the corrider as usual, locked the
grated door behind him, and was about to or.
der RClfe and Robert Simmons, partially
insane man, into their cells for the night,
when Rolfe drew large old-fashicned navy
pistol, and covering McQuade said,
Qasde replied NO" MeQaade then
put bis hand into his pocket. Rolfe asked.
Have you any weapoDs:' George replied,
"Yes, my pistol" Rolte said, keep it in
your pocket and hand me the keys." George
rendered them, but Rolfe would not go near
him. He told Simmons to bring him the
keys. George nudged Simmons, when Rolfe
said, "No fool;shness, George; give him the
keys" R9fe then ordered George and Sim
mons into one Of the cells and locked them
in. George called to Rolfe, who came near
the wicket and asked what he wanted.
George asked what he proposed doing. Role
replied, Release Joe This partner) and es-
cape" George told him Joe was sick
abed. Role said, Il will go alone. u
George called him back agaip, "a
Role supposed for the purpose OF
detained him. He told George to keep sill,
or ne w0uld go in apd see to him. He then
unlocked the grated door at the end OF the
corridor, went out and relocked the door, left
the cell-door key and candle on the shelf near
the door, passed out through the hall and
was seen by Mrs. Moo lade. who supposed it
was sOme visitor her husband had let out.
Outside pistolshot was heard, which
alarmed her, and she went to the corridor,
saw the candle and key and supposed George
was ou. closing the shutters. Tobe Richards
called from the other side of the Jail and
asked about the ehot. They then heard
George calling FROM the other side. AS soon
as she found out the situation. she gave the
alarm at the front door Rolfe having taken
the key to the hall door away, it to k
fiiteen minutes with hsmners and chisels to
get the door open. On being released George
said. "Well, boys. this is a pretty fix for
MeQuade to be in" Having related the cir
cumstances, ne and Sheriff Yancey offered
horses, arms and gum coats. as it was
showing, to as many men as would go, and
inside of thirty minutes ten uen were on
their way to every bridge and ferry inside of
twenty miles. At 9 O'Clock this morning a
daughter of Benton Seeber. who lives a
UuarIeT VI n ullio btlUW Tie III, Ou EeF way
to Sunday school. stopped at the jail and said
man all wet and tired out came to
their house at o'clock and asked the
name of the town in sight. When Informed,
he said, My God, have travelled all night
in the rain, at least twenty-five miles, and
not got out of town YETI" He then told them
who he was and what he had done; that he
was nearly dead, being hardly able to speak.
and asked them to go up to the Jail with him
as he would not 60 alone. Thinking he was a
tramp, and living. they did not go. He sat
by the fire till o'clock. when he went out,
and crossing the road went into the
fifty men and boys. started in pur.
suit. At IL o'clock Gabriel Menendez and
Archie Mclean, two young men about is
years of age, saw man about forty yards up
a gulch and called to him, asking if he had
seen large man go over the hill. He re-
piled, mo; guess am the man you are
looking for" Deputy Constable Gillespie
and Louis Passerone heard the conversation,
and Immediately leveled their pistols on
Rolfe and ordered him to surrender. Rolfe
came up to them and delivered up the large
pistol and small Aliens six-shooter, and
was returned to the Jail. Rolfe says he will
the pistols. He says McQuade was as cool
and self-possessed as if nothing unusual was
happening The shot outside the Jail was
csused by his falling over the fence with the
pistol in his hand. He went north of town,
fortied two creeks ard went back of BALD
Mountain. When he saw the lights in
Sonora he thought it was jamestown or
Raw Hide ranch. He made a complete
circuit of Sonora, and brought up within a
quarter of mile Of the Jail. He Gays he was
| tempted several times to shoot himself when
he found he was foiled. McQuade. Yancey
and the couriers returned at 8 P. NJ. to-day