Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-06-22
BOLTS AND BARS
Defied by a Horse Thief Who is a
Clover Jail Breaker.
FRANKFORT NEEDS ONLY A KNIFE
To Cut Of Nine Bolts, Dig through a
Stone Wall and Escape with His
Two Comrades in
Crime.

WEST CHESTER, Pa, June 2i.-The escape
OF John Frankford, better known as Frank
ford Joe, with Clarence A. Dunn and J.
Lewis Robson, three desperate horse
thieves, was a remarkable exploit in its
way. Frankford is Il years old, and has
served several terms in prison. During the
past few years he has gained wide reputa-
tion as successful Jail breaker. Twice in
succession he cut his way out of iron-clad
cells in the Lancaster Jail, and in one Of
these escapes his eye was shot out.
A short time ago he was arrested in Ches'
ter county for
Horse Stealing,
and was taken to prison. Lancaster county
wanted him, but the Chester county OH.
cials promised the State authorities that
they would hold on to Frankford Joe, and
produce him for trial. Frankford was &C.
cordingly placed in the iron apartment OF
the West Chester Jail, the strong cell
hanged. The cell is completely lined with
boiler.plate iron half inch thick. III you
get out Of here Frankford," said an officer,
"you can get out of any iron cell in the
world" Frankford smiled, and said he
wouldn't be in ahurry. :.
1t did not take hong for Frankford to dis
cover that in the adjoining cell, which was
also completely
Lined with Plate Iron
was another horse thief. J. Lewis Robson
by name, agedi32, OF Honey Brook town.
ship, sentenced for three years. Franktord
at once planned for his escape, and Robi-
son agreed to JON him, but the job ap.
peared 10 he hopeless one. Frankford
tra oil
rudely into large handles wrapped in rags.
He transformed these knives into saws. On
one iron plate were nine heavy bolts that
fastened the plate in Frankford's cell and
then extended through twenty.inch stone
wall and fastened q plate in RObison's cell.
These bolts were fastened BY heavy ham
meIed heads, and were almost flush with
the plates. The plates were whitewashed.
Frankford, with his rude tools, sawed the
bolt heads and Robson pnlled the bolts
out from his cell
This Work Was slow,
and Frankford made wooden imitation
bolt heads whitened them, and deceived
the taller.
When the iron plates were removed in
both cells the twenty.inch wall was tun.
nelled, and Frankford was able to get into
Robinsons cell. During the day they
could put up the plates so snugly as to
deceive the most experienced eye. The
stones, OF course were also nicely laid in,
and the mortar and sand concealed in their
mattresses. The two prisoners at night
then worked their way through the iron
ceiling of Robison's cell up into the
upper tier cell occupied by Clarence A.
Dunn, another horse thief under sentence.
This very difficult task was safely per
formed, whereupon the three cut their
Al at,.a tttrh ha
roof, and lowered themselves 10 the
ground by blanket ropes, and escaped.
To Reach the Roof
they had to saw through six.inch joist
twice. All this work had TO be performed
in silence and in the dead OF night, with
but two old knives and the iron bolts they
pulled out of the wall by which the plates
were fastened. Before going the desperate
men with false keys unlocked side door
at the laIl and liberated thirteen prisoners,
in iail for various petty crimes.
The night watchman at the Jail says he
visited the cells occupied by Frankford
and Robson thirteen times between 9:3O
o'clock +. N. and i;30 o'clock yesterday
morning, the hours between which they
escaped. A reward Of 500 aroused the
neighborhood, and the fugitives were chased
in the barrens of WIliiston township, where
Robson struck out for himself. Frankford
and Dunn remained together,
Late Last Night
they were run down, chased into a creek,
and captured by citizens at the point OF the
pistol They are now back again in Jail.
frankford takes his recapture very coolly.
and says that he showed what he could do.
He is, however, terribly downcast at times
to think that after all his labor he was so
quickly recaptured. He was serving
nineteen. wear sentence in Lancaster when
he escaped there. While he was crawling
from a chimney top, after he had worked
his way out of his iron cell, the guard shot
him in the eye, but he escaped, -neverthe.
less. At another time he led band OF
seven -. notorious men, and escaped. He
will soon be tried for horse steaIiDg.