The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-09-03
n RREAF FOR LIBERTY.


"Over the Garden Wall''-Song
30, ho, there's a hole in the wall''-
Old Play.
On Sunday evening last about 7
o'clock, Worthington was thrown into
the biggest 'tantrum" it has enjoyed
for some time. At that time we were
crossing 9th St. from the Lake House,
when lady came running and inform
ed us that two prisoners had just
scaled the wall in the rear of the Jail
and ran toward the lake. We started
on Il double quick gait for jailor Neff's
Office to inform him and found Trent
Hewitt just going in the door to break
the news gently Sheriff Miller was
sitting on the porch of the Worthing-
ton house and seeing the commotion
started on another double quick. Find
ing team hitched ut the Lake House
the sheriff and several other men jump.
ed into the carriage and drove for the
lake shore. In five minutes they we're
back with the two men, VIM. Martin,
in for burglary from jackson county,
and Joseph Griffith, in frem Adrian,
on charge of attempted rape. Martin
was found in the grass and weeds near
the foot of Sd Ave. and Griffith was
found up tree little further on. lie
descended gracefully into the arms of
B. W. Lyon and came back laughing,
saying it was an "unlucky day.
Meanwhile jailor Neff had "sur-
rounded' the jail inside and out. He
soon found that G. W. Allen, in for
horse stealing from Murray county,
was also missing. Word came that he
was under the Jail. The hole in the
foundation wall made by the prisoners
on former occasion, was large enough
to admit mans body. Speculation
ran riot for several hours as to wlieth
er or not the man ''had gone into that
hole"
Men got down and looked in with a
bulls eye lantern, Tut could see moth
ing. Sheriff Miller, with a squad of a
hundred men more or less, kept drag
ging and securing the grass and BUSH
es for the body of the lost man until
after dark.
Finally ex-Marshal Joe Lyons deter
mined to make a search under the Jail.
He crept into the hole in the founda.
ton and went on an exploring expedi.
ton among the various stone walls
which support the stills. Joe discover
ed his man. He came out and inform
I'd the Sheriff, who called on Allen to
come forth, and sure enough, here
came a dark-haired, dark-whiskered,
pale locking man right out of that
hole. This ended the search and the
excitement, and the people went home
to talk 1t over.
During this time crowds were going
around the Jail to look at the ''hole in
the wall'' where the boys had escaped.
A hole foot or more in diameter had
been cut through the northwest wall,
at the rear end OF the corridor, and
through this the boys made dash for
liberty. They evidently had been at
work for some time, had it prepared,
and selected time when all would be
out of the steel cage for the attempt.
This was just after supper. Tailor
Neff had just fed them and had gone
to his office for few minutes before
locking them in the cage for the night.
During these few minutes they gave
him the slip.
The hole was cut through six pieces
of 2x4 and through the wainscotting
on the inside and the siding on the
outside. The 2x4s appear to have
been partly sawed, partly burned and
partly broken off. They took an iron
bar. used as brace, from tho privy,
to burn with to get the saw started.
What they used for saw has not been
learned yet.
The fourth prisoner, from Luverne,
did not attempt to escape, as lie will
probably he discharged in a few weeks.
He will now be the only prisoner al
lowed to pace the corridor, as the 9TH
ers will be kept in the cage.
Martin is said to be an experienced
breaker. lie led in an attempt at
Sioux City and had sawed a large Sec
ton out of steel cage and concealed
the marks with putty and dust. lie
had managed to secure the tools to do
soften the steel.