The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-16


recapture of all the prisoners if merely a
matter of time, as they know that there
escape from the county, is highly improba-
BILE.
HOW ACCOMPLISHED.
Sometime Sunday morning the prisoners
posted On the east side of the Jail one of
the Chicago papers published last Saturday
morning. This paper covered up the wall
where the work of digging out the rocks
was in progress. About the same time,
some one of them secured an iron rod p
feet long and square which was used in
the iron railing on the upper tier of cells.
1t was taken from the most remote portion,
so as to avoid notice. Before dinner a
small amount of rock was removed, and
the dirt was placed in one of the unoccupi-
ed cell.
After the sheriff had removed the dinner,
the prisoners commenced their work in
earnest, and by forcing the stones out
ward, they soon succeeded in making an
opening large enough to permit one of
their number to pass through
The removal of the plaster and lathes
forming the walls of the hallway was soon
accomplished and the prisoners soon gain
ed the hallway between the county and
circuit clerks offices.
The opening was so started as not to in
terfere with the joists of the partition wall
and to show with what nicely the job was
worked, lot of windows piled up against
the wall in the hallway were removed to
one side without breaking single glass.
A SCARE.
Once in the hallway, the prisoners closed
the door leading out into the square. Thus
protected. they brushed their clothes and
removed all trace of the mortar and white
wash which they had gathered in crawling
through the opening A brief consulta-
ton followed, during which Jones, who is
a cripple and uses crutches, demanded that
he be given 10 minutes the start of his
companions on account of his infirmity.
This was granted him, and the cripple was
let out the door He made a bee line for
the river.
Shortly afterwards the other prisoners
started out, but noticed DIR. Craig, the. Jail
physician, coming up the walk. They
feared detection, and held back until that
physician passed out of sight. The pris-
oners then started out in pairs, two of
them going up to the pump where they
took drink and acted in the most natural
manner
Martin was smoking pipe, while Dor
sey Patten, rugged up in his best bib-and-
tucker. had spring ovescoat on his arm,
and attempted to play the role of com
mercial traveller.
THE PRISONERS VERSION
Dorsey Patton, one of the men recaptur-
ed. gives very accurate and at the same
time possible account of the whole affair
He states that the plan has been brew
ing for some time, but has never taken
definite shape until within the past few
days. The worst objection has been that
even if they succeeded in getting through
the wall they would strike the office of the
Circuit Clerk. This made it necessary to
work the Job en- Sunday.
The condition of the walls since the fire
has been damp, and it was well known
that it would not require very hard work
to make an opening.
Stemple, one of the late arrivals, in the
prison, claimed that he could locate the
hole so that the exit could be made in the
hall between the county offices. The re-
suit shows that his judgement was not far
wrong.
Saturday afternoon. one of the prisoners
commenced work with common pair of
shears. With this implement tie exact
location of the stone was ascertained,
Before this had been fully accomplished.
tn men were surprised at their work by
Turnkey Bruner, who entered the jail.
They hurriedly placed piece of paper
over the opening which was but four feet
above the ground The paper was stuck
to the wall by means of molasses which
had been left in the corridor. To prevent
detection at that time, they were all hud
died together covering the paper and APP
peared to be wonderfully Interested in an
account of horse race which one of them
was relating.
AS soon as the turnkey left, the examin-
alton of the wall was completed, and a
paper fastened over the place so that the
marks made by the shears could not be
seen. The mortar on the floor was car
ried to cell and work was suspended I'M
til Sunday.
After the dinner hours, Sunday, the iron
stay from the upper cell railing, was broken
out and with this the work was prosecut
ed to successful conclusion. Three men
were at work, and by main strength they
started the first stone, after which the
task was comparatively easy.
The cripple, Jones, was first put
through, and he cut the lathes forming the
second partition with razor which he
had in his possession.
Jones made good his escape, he being
given ten minutes start on account of his
crippled condition, after which the men
passed through and got out as fast as
possible.
JONES JAILED.
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