Telegram-herald., 1886-10-01
A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR
Conklin. the Hart Postof1ce
RObbsr, Escapes from Jail.
WALKED OUT WITHOUT BREAKING 4 BAR
The Doors Opened tor Him ~lth False
keys-E Partial History OF His
Criminal Csreer-tiis Com
plimenis TO the Sheriff

When Deputy Sheriff Platte swoke from
bis peaceful slumbeTs and innocent dreams
and came down stairs al the jail Yesterday
morning, he noticed that the door leading
from the main hall 70 the prison part OF The
BUILDING was not locked. that the two pad
locks which bad lately been used 10 maize
it more secure had beea unlocked and
dropped on the floor. John was greatly
surprised He opened the front door ana
called Constable Boos, Who OF late has been
doing outside guard duty a.
night armed with Winchester
rifle, and also aroused Sheriff
Kinney. Upon further investigation it w4s
found that the doors lead;ng TO the second
story of the Jail were also unlOcsei and
when the second floor was reached il vas
discovered that the door OF the corridor, IN
which the prisoners considered most
anxious 10 escape were confined, vas open.
Upon entering tue corridor the door of the
cell IN which Charles CoDklin charged with
the robbery Of the Hart pOstoilice, Was con-
fined was partly Opca and the prisoner was
gone closer examination of the locks
showed that none of them had been
broken. There was not marx
or scratch upon any OF them
to indicate that they had been forced or
broken. They had been opened with keys
and the only KEYS known 10 be ia existence
which would unlock them were in the safe
in the Sheriff office, where they We're left
the night before. On the bed in Conkiin :
cell, was dummy" made OF quilts and
bed ticking with the following letter pinned
10 the breast:
MR. SMART SHERIFF yOur Watchfulness
has, Broken My heart. look ar the wreck YOU
nave Isaid of Ne | hope you will Barry
me in the ventalate whare YOU Prevented
me from getting by your Wachfulness. You
ar very Watchfull But thare az Others that
ar NOR wachfull than you. | am Sorry
for Big John he was 50 very Kind Ia me
aud Nv white. he o. TO have ben Nominated
for Sheriff Such a Mobile looking man
Geate god, ths COckroaches will miss him
when he is gOn. The only friend ] had in
your hotel was littell Graice. sheriff Kin
ney little niece, who is deaf and dumb ]
When she reads this letter she will Lsul d
until She will be abiil TO talk. / will miss
the Mush and Milk and Roust b. efe that
is IL. think ! Fate ID much Beef that Is
wot Kid your two Blood Hounds. Well.
Mr. Wachfull, my Spirit will ne in Europ
befor you yet the Grape of Of your old Hat.
| am much Obliged 10 my many friends for
sending you SO many letters about Ne. No
wonder your Hair is gray.
Very Respectfully,
CHARLES CoNKLIS.
PS.. If you offer a Reward ofer a Big
one So that the Snakes will git well paid for
finding ne. Rats
fne letter was written in hand appar-
entity unaccustomed to welding pen. Il
must have been written by day light or very
good lamp 1t was enclosed IN a soiled
envelope without the Jail imprint and ad.
dressed Sheriff Kinney
Boyd, the murderer. occupied the cell on
one side of the one left vacant by Conk in
and Terrell who shot James Mccullough,
slept in the one on the oiber side. Both
these men were found asleep by the officers
and when awakened we're even more sur
prised than the officers to learn that Conk-
lin had escaped None of the prisoners
heard any unusual noise duung the niehf,
nor had they noticed anything unusual
or suspicious in COnkin actions.
No trace or clue to the missing prisoner
could be found but upon examination Of
the residence portion of the building one OF
the kitchen windows was found raised.
L; had apparently been showed up with q
pole which was found ON pole oene aih it.
A few very indistinct footprints were dis
covered on the ground beneath the window