The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-03-15
ATTEMPT ESCAPE.
Seven Jail Birds Seek Their
Freedom.
Muir and Ditson the Locksmiths
and Grand Moguls of the
Cheerful Party.

Early yesterday morning seven desper-
ate men, confined in the county Jail, made
desperate attempt to gain their liberty
and to once more breathe the free air of
heaven.
Evidently they had planned the escape
days and days ago, and with ceaseless en-
ergy they had labored as only men can
labor who are seeking the greatest boon
on earth-liberty.
The men engaged in the effort
were Jim Muir, forgery; Link
Hancock, misdemeanor; Sher-
man York, burglary; Joe Ogden,
burglary at the union depot; Frank
Garcia, theft; Charles Swank, colored,
theft, and Jim Ditson, the last of the
famous Yeager postoffice robber gang.
Muir and Hancock occupied the same
cell. York and Ogden were in the same
cell, and Garcia and Swank we're cell COM
panions. Ditson was in a cell to himself.
Muir and Ditson were the ringleaders,
and it is generally believed that Muir was
the grand mogul of the whole party, and
that in his fertile and versatile brain was
first conceived the cheerful and happy
thought of escape.
Manifestly, it would be unjust, if not
positively cruel, to suspect for
moment that Mr.. Muir
was actuated by anything but lofty, patri-
otto motives and a burning desire to
bring to justice the hardened wretches
whom he has so often said got him into
trouble and into Jail.
In card published in this paper some
time back he solemnly averred and init
mated that when he gave bond, something
he was positive he would do, he wanted to
go forth, and far and near, like an
avenging Nemesis he would roam until
he yanked from their hiding places the
workers of iniquity, the marplots, the
pitiless cartiffs, who imposed on his limo
cent and unsuspecting nature and palmed
off on him forged notes.
His bondsmen failed to turn up and it
is charitable to suppose that he set
his wits to work to escape, that
he might fulfill his promise and bring the
guilty parties to justice.
With this laudable intention vigorousl y
fourishing he set about and executed a
piece of work that caused Alderman
Assman, when it was shown him at the
Jail, to kick himself over the yard fence.
1t was key fashioned out of the bot
tom of an old frying pan, and it was none
of your ordinary keys, but difficult, Gu
riously wrought one, made to fit accur-
ately patent Jail cell lock. To fashion
it required much labor, time and skill.
With it Muir unlocked his cell door.
All this time Mr.. Ditson was at work on
key to fit the patent look of his door.
He made it of the back of an old French
harp, and with it unlocked the door of his
cell.
With his key Muir unlocked the cell
doors of the other prisoners.
1t was about $3.50 yesterday morning,
and when all seven of the men were out
side of their cells their united strength
forced some of the bars of the cage sur
rounding the cell rooms, and they entered
the "run-round."
Muir carried with him bed railing, as
did Ditson. They entered the north
east tower of the jail and
placing the bed rails on scantlings
across from window to window. One of
the men mounted upon them and pro-
ceeded to cut hole through the roof
They had cut one nearly large enough
through which to escape when the noise oil
ripping up the tin attracted the attention
of Tailor Hornsby, and he was just in
the nick of time to prevent the
escape. He marshalIed the men
dismal and crestfallen, in line
and marched them back to their cells
and, placing new locks on the doors, hat
them safely housed again.
For several years the jail has been con
sidered unsafe, and yesterday morlng, a.
the request of Tailor Hornsby, the grand
Jury went over and inspected it with
view of suggesting improvements.
How or where Muir and Ditson Sc
cured saws and material to make the key
they refuse to tell.