St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-30
AN IMPOTENT EMEUTE.
Six County Prisoners Make n Des
perate Attempt to Break Jail.

Six County Prisoners Make Des-
perate Attempt to- Break Jail.
A desperate attempt to escape from the
county Jail took place yesterday. That it
was not successful was mainly owing to the
bravery and coolheadedness of the officials
in charge, and to Jailer Joseph Davis in
particular At half-paSt o'clock he went
into the hall upstairs and opened the door
to the corridor for the purpose of placing
inside bucket to hold sweepings. Just as
he had set the bucket on the floor, not yet
having locked the door, prisoner named
Jim Scanlon struck him a savage blow on
the head with an iron bar. The blow was
heavy enough to have felled an OK, and the
jailer was somewhat staggered. but quickly
recovering himself he pluckily grappled
with his antagonist. Scanlon called for
help, when two other prisoners, Harry
Youngman and Jack Ahern, sprang to his
assistance. They each grasped him by an
arm and fairly forced him to the floor.
Meanwhile his cries for help had attracted
prisoner named Schleif, who is
what is called in penitentiary parlance a
''trusty, " and is allowed some liberties about
the jail. He rushed up stairs to aid him,
followed by Night Waterman Luling. just
as they came upstairs, ScanlOn
HAD RAISED HIS IRON BAR
to strike Davis another blow, which Schleif,
interposing himself, received on the Shout
der By this time six prisoners in all had
Joined the emeute and were fighting des-
perately in the hope of regaining liberty.
The three men who opposed them were
finally able to drive them back into the cor
ridor and finally they were safely locked in
cells. 1t was narrow escape, for there
was but one door between the prisoners
and liberty, and to that door Davis kept
the key. Had he been overpowered by the
first blow, and it was wonder that he was
not, the way into the open air would have
been clear. Had the men escaped from the
building however, most of them would UNI
dOubtedly have been captured very soon.
Davis wound was a serious one, extend
ing nearly three inches. 1t was sewed up
by DR.. Ancker, and the injured man re-
turned to duty in the afternoon. Scanlon,
who struck him, is awaiting trial for high
way robbery and is regarded as very
tough crook. The weapon which he used
was the leg of bedstead in one of the
cells. 1t is of round iron, about three
fOurthS of an inch thick and twenty inches
long. 1t was wrenched from its place by main
strength, evidently with the purpose of
using it for weapon.
THE RAMSEY COUNTY JAIL
has always been regarded as leaky affair
"a place from which prisoners with mod
crate amount of ingenuity and unity of ac-
ton can easily escape. Two years-a
longer period than uSual-have elapsed
since break was made, when seven got
away i'll the night by attracting the turn
key into the cell room by report that a
prisoner was committing suicide and then
released themselves, locking him up ON the
inside. The old shell will have to answer,
however, until the new court house is com
pleted.
Sheriff Richter, who was sick in bed at
the time of the break, says that he has fire.
quently called the attention of the county
board to the insecure condition of the iron
bedsteads and has asked them in vain to
supply him with furniture for Jail use
which is less easy to be used as weapon.