Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-02
THEY WANT LIBERTY.
An Attempt to Secure 1t by Breaking Out
Of Jail--An Attempt to Burst Things
Happily Frustrated.

Of Jail--An Attempt to Burst Things
Happily Frustrated.
About o'clock yesterday morning, an
other attempt was made by some OF the pris-
oners in the Ramsey county jail to break out.
The discovery of the attempt was purely &C.
cidental, but when 1t was found out very ju-
dicious and effectual measures were taken to
Illustrate the efforts OF the miscreants.
HOW THE ATTEMPT WAS MADE.
At the hour named, or a little after-1
oclock-F. G. Richter, the night Waterman
of the Jail went outside and, for precaution
against escape, fire or accident OF any kind,
made a general examination of the exterior
OF the jail and the grounds around 1t. Finding
everything all right he returned to the jail
and was about 10 open the iron door leading
into the room rallied off from the corridors
and cells, when, for come reason he thought
he would take lcok through the little open
ing there is In the iron door. He according
ly pushed aside the slide and was astonished
to find two of the prisoners at work at the
door opening from the corridor in front
of the cells into the anteroom. Both were at
work as hard as their strength would permit
to pry open the door. This door is not
exactly door, in the ordinary sense OF that
word. The corridor is separated from the
anteroom by an upright railing made of Aka
timbers, set few inches apart. This struc-
ture that is called door is made of The same
material and in the same way. 1t swings on
heavy hinges and is fastened by heavy lock.
This was the door the prisoners we're at
work at.
GETTING UP THE SHERIFF..
As soon as the night Waterman saw what was
going on he quietly replaced the slide over the
little opening in the iron door, and going up
stairs aroused his brother, the sheriff. and in
formed him of the state of affairs. The lat
ter got up, and the two taking along an extra
supply of arms went down to the Jail door.
THEY STOPPED WORK.
As soon as the prisoners heard the sound of
the key in the lock they stopped their work
and retreated to their cells, SO that when the
sheriff and his brother got inside everything
was quiet, and nothing disturbed the mid.
night air but the music of the sleepers. The
door leading into the corridor was unlocked
and the sheriff and his assistanti passed inside,
and locking the door behind them, with
revolYers in their hands, were ready
for whatever might happen. Not knowing
exactly where to look for the loose prisoners,
they proceeded to examine the cells, and
found the doors of two OF them unlocked.
One of these cells was occupied by Jack Ham
iltou, the partner of Smith, who died In the
hospital, and is held for blowing open Breen
81 Young's safe, corner of Ninth and Mime
sofa streets, and Andrew Miller, who was ar.
rested on charge of larceny on Saturday, and
was convicted yesterday morning and fined
$50 in the municipal court. Those who &C.
cupied the other cell that was found open
were JEFF Hudson, who is held on the charge
Of assault and battery on Barbara Reynolds,
and John COyne, charged with larceny. 1t
seems that these men as soon as they dis
covered that the sheriff was at the door
slipped back into their cells and
took to their beds. When the sheriff
got to their quiet bedsides they were so sound
asleep that it seemed as though the officers of
the law would be compelled to call upon
Gabriel for assistance to awaken them. The
sheriff shook them and the sheriff's brother
shook them, and then both shook them. and
finally the officer succeeded in waking them
up. When Intercepted they had not the
slightest idea of how their cell
doors came unlocked. They supposed they
we're locked when they were put in for the
night, and were greatly surprised to find they
were open. They. even appeared hurt to
think the sheriff had suspected they would
plan such mean trick as to surreptitiously
open their cell doors in the night.
Finding he could do nothing further,
and that all the other prisoners were safe
in their cells, and that the locks had not been
tempered with the sheriff locked the two cells
again and then the matter rested till morning.
AN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES WAS FOUND.
When the morning came the sheriff pro-
ceeded to make thorough examination of
the prisoners and their cells. The result
of this examination was such as to
satisfy the sheriff that very decided and
effective assistance had been furnished by
some person or persons on the outside of the
jail. OF course he found the usual piece of
oees' wax for taking an impression of the
keys of the Jail, the club, the gag, the thin
knife blade that had been turned into saw.
These are always found on such occasions.
THE WORST PART OF THE FIND.
The discovery of the articles above enumer-
ated was 10 be expected, but this
time they found something more important
and a good deal worse. Among the articles
the sheriff found several long thin keys made
with teeth like those used to turn the bolts In
the locks of the cell doors. The work on the
keys was first class and they were as well made
found three pieces of card board cut into the
exact shape of the three keys open
ing all the outside doors leading
into the Jail. Full particulars were written
on each piece of card board as to the original
key. On one piece of pasteboard, which rep
resented the largest key which unlocks the
outside door, was written these words: "This
is solid key" On the end of this pasteboard
pattern was tied another little piece of card
these words: "This little thing is the thick
ness of the 'front.' On the next large key
was written, "This is barrel key" 1t is evi.
dent from this that these directions and de.
scriptions OF the keys were being sent out to
some one for the purpose OF having set OF
keys made. AS above stated, these prisoners
had the keys already made for unlocking the
cell doors, or at least some of them, and the
workmanship and material of which they are
were made outside, with good and
sufficient tools with which to
make them WELL All the prisoners
wanted with which to effect general Jail de-
livery, was get of three keys with which to
open the other doors. These pasteboard pat
terms above described, and the directions on
them, had they found their way outside,
would have secured to the prisoners the sure
and quiet means of getting out they sought.
The plan to escape was q deep, well ma
tured one and came very near being
successful. Had it not been discovered and
frustrated we would, undoubtedly, have had
general Jail delivery, for there would have
been nothing to have prevented all OF them
from unlocking the cell doors and then the
outside doors and deliberately walking out.
SEARCHING.
Yesterday afternoon the sheriff had the
straw emptied out of the ticks and men were
carefully sitting it to find other keys to the
cells. He fears there are duplicate keys to all
the cells, and will apply to the county com.
missioners, at their next meeting, for new
locks throughout.
THE COURTS.
Supreme Court.
r-.-t - 0,on -.