The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-17
NOTED BURGLARS CAUGHT
In the Very Act of Committing a
Robbery,
BUT ALLOWED TO ESCAPE
BY Two Negligent omccrs-Two Old
Prison Birds of Martins Ferry
Gagged There Again Yesterday,
For Short Time.

For Short Time.
The notorious "Possum" Coss and Joe
Taylor, of Martins Ferry, were caught
in the act oftrying to break into the sta
tionery and newsstore and Office Of John
W. Crooks, on Hanover street, Martins
Ferry, at an early hour yesterday morn
ing. They were arrested and locked up
and afterwards escaped. The rear OF the
room is occupied as IN Office and in this
is tho Martins Ferry Office Of the IN
TELLIGENcER. In the rear end is win
dow, which opens on a level with the
roofofa kitchen belonging to the dwell
ing OF Louis Scheehle, occupied by VIM.
Craig, iamiliary known rs "slug." Craig
had been out late and while in his room
reading heard some one prowling round.
This was about 80 o'clock. On in.
vestigation he noticed two men on the
roof OF his kitchen trying to effect an
entrance into Crooks place by cutting
out pain of glass. He said nothing to
them, but quietly put on his shoes and
after arousing one OF his boarders, Sam
Swan, they slipped down stairs and
across to Findley's corner, where OIL.
GERS Samuel Westwood and George
Murphy were standing, and informed
them.
Officer William Thomas happened TO
be near, and the three police, Craig and
Swan, surrounded the building. The
two burglars, who turned out to be Coss
and Taylor, must have heard them, for
they were down of the building and
tried to escape. Taylor ran back toward
the alley, and was arrested by West
wood, who drew his revolver on him
and said "Stop, or III blow your brains
outw to which Taylor replied, "Don't
shoot"
He was in his stocking feet and car.
ried two pairs of shoes in his hands.
Westwood asked him what he was doing
with them, and he replied: Zone pairs
mine and the other is my partners"
Westwood asked him who his partner
was, and he replied 'Possum' Coss;
he's in the Kitchen" Murphy found
him in Craig's kitchen in his stocking
feet, with huge knife in his hands, on
which there was some putty. They
'fessed up and were locked up. Coss was
intoxicated but Taylor was perfectly 3D.
Der. Crooks did not close on Saturday
night until midnight, and heard noise
back OF his place just before leaving, but
surprising it was in Craig's, paid no at
tention. He noticed Coss and Taylor
looking in the show window about 10
o'clock, but being busy, no attention was
paid. Shortly before that two boys
walked in and advised him to take in
some Indian clubs which were hanging
outside, saying these two chaps were
overheard talking about them.
Willard Weems, the colored police
man, about whom SO much has been
said, usually feeds the prisoners in the
lookup. Yesterday morning he break
tasted them about s o'clock, unlocking
the cells occupied by Coss and Taylor,
and three other inmates in another cell,
allowing all to eat in the corridor, us is
often done. About 0 o'clock he went in
after the dishes, telling Charles Moore,
who was in the Mayors office, not 10 let
them pass out the front door. The
heavy iron door leading from the office
into the jail can not be locked from the
inside, and Weems left it open. While
he was in the corridor ofthe Jail picking
up the dishes, Coss and Taylor and
FATTY" Neal, who was in for fighting, |
all escaped, running out through the
office and out the front door into the
street. Weems saw Neal, the third, es-
Gaping and locked the jail door. By the
time he got out on the street the es.
capped prisoners were out OF sight and
have not been seen or heard OF since
with the exception OF just after their es-
cape, when Miss Jessie Swartz saw lit
tie man run up First street with a pair
of shoes in his hands. This was Coss.
With little effort Moore could have pre-
vented their escape.
When they were locked up both locks
on the cell were locked. The charge
was plainly written on the slate and
officer Thomas awoke Weems, telling
him there were ten prisoners in the
lookup, and cautioning him to watch
them. Weems, who is nice man, was
not cut out FOR policeman. He is too
stupid. His eyesight is bad, he being
obliged to wear glasses, and he should
be removed.
1t is the place Of the Marshal to feed
the prisoners. He is paid twenty cents
each for doing this, but it appears that
for some time Weems has been doing it.
Had the Marshal been around and
breakfasted with them they would not
have escaped, and would have got their
third term in the penitentiary. They
have each served two terms for burglary.
Coss was caught burglarizing Henry
Floto's bakery some years ago, and was
sent up for this. They are old hands at
the business, and are wanted for recent
burglaries up the river.
On Saturday night other arrests were
made, five for fighting, namely: Polly |
Cox, John Welsh and Fatty Neal, in
one saloon, and Nelson Henderson, col
ored, and Wardie Cook in another.
James Conley, heater in the Standard
mill, was in the former and was badly L
used up, having large piece OF flesh
bit out OF his neck and his head cut and
bruised
Some time during the night friends OF
the prisoners broke into the Jail yard
and handed hammer in through
window, with which an unsuccessful ei-
fort was made to break Jail.
The police who arrested Coss and
Taylor are very much worked up about
their escape. They have had their eyes
on them for weeks.
STATE OF ONO, Cry OF TOLEDO,
Lucas COUNTY, S. S.
FRANK j. CHENEY makes oath that he