The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-03-23
RESCUED WITH A RAZOR.
But Quickly Reeaptured, Were
Five Prisoners in the
County Jail.
They Cut Through an Iron Bar
and Make a Bold Dash
for Liberty.

morning no little excitement was Gre
ated on the streets by a report that
FIVE prisoners had escaped from the
couaty jail. A visit to the jail con-
firmed the truth of the rumor, and
Deputy Sheriff Murray was found
still painting from the exertions he
had made in his efforts to recapture
the escaped prisoners.
There was ut the time of the deliv-
cry nineteen prisoners confined in the
jail, and among this number there are
some exceedingly hard cases. The
five men who attempted to escape
had in some way managed to obttin
possession of an old razOr, which they
had converted into a saw. With this
they had succeeded in severing one of
the inch iron bars in the rear end of
the corridor surrounding the cells on
the north side of the Jail. After the
bar had been sawed through il was an
easy matter to remove it, leaving an
aperture about nine inches wide, suf-
ficient to admit of the passage of the
body of any man of ordinary size.
When the escape was attempted
the deputy sheriff was sitting by the
door leading into the sheritf's resi-
dence and a trusty prisoner, a boy by
the name of Willie Bridgewater, was
engaged in carrying in coal. This was
the sought for opportunity Of the Jail
breakers and Jack Robinson, James
Mclaughlin, Dave Suaw, Charles
Elder and Charles Watts, the three
latter colored, all avail ing trial at the
April term of the criminal court for
burglary, quietly removed the iron
bar and slipped out into the outside
on the north side. The boy
in ffffxRa III tie fRe tine ss and IN fh At
once noticed the men. He called to
the jailer and that officer leaving the
door to ascertain what was wanted,
The prisoners slipped quietly around
to the south side, gained the front
1oor and reached the street before
MIR. Murray could regain the door. The
oortiy jailer, however, was net many
minutes IN recovering from his sur
Prise and at once gave chase to the
ieeing criminals. On leaving the Jail
he entire party entered the alley on
he north of the building.
he three negroes going east and the |
White men attempting to scale fence |
q the rear of Mr.. Randalls residence. |
n this effort one of them, Jack Rob-
nson, was successful, but his COM
'anion, James Mclaughlin, was
eized by the foot by the pursuing
ailer when be was partially over the
ence, and despite his desperate
truggles was held fast until assistance
rrived in the persons of Messrs.
ohm and Tom Robb.
Robinson was captured as he was
merging from the alley in the rear
T >icher's, by Mr.. c. E. ngenfritz,
'ho quickly returned him to his
uarters.
As soon as he heard of the escape of
ne prisoners, Al. Dyer, a colored
usty prisoner, rushed up stairs and
curing revolver, started in pursuit {
! the fugitives. He came up with ,
fhcer Gossage, who was also in hot {
insult, and Shaw and Elder were ,
Terhauled near Kahrs' grocery store.
Watts was taken in near Galbreath's
able, in the vicinity of the freight {
'use, he having passed through the I
able. Thus in a very short
ne after their bold dash for liberty :
five of the prisoners were again e
fely behind the bars. .
1t is thought by some that young 8
one of the colored c
lsties, was in league with the prison
J, as instead of going quietly to the
Ter and apprising him of the effort
ing made al escape, he called him q
'ay from the door so as to leave an ?
obstructed passage for the men :;
ing out. The boy denies this. and N
rs that ne acted on the first impulse
call Mr.. Murray when he discov- g,
d what was going on. o. 2,
The prisoners who made the at Of
nPt to escape had before starting for p
door provided themselves with
IVY bar of iron, with which they do Is
deny it was their intention to kill ~
Jailer should he attempt to frus- be
te their effort to escape. ia
shaw, one Of the colored prisoners, vi
o attempted to escape the 'e
N in the penitentiary
lch doubtless awaits him. E.
n ex-convict and an exceedingly