The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-24
CASSIDY'S DEATH CLUTCH
THE TYBEE BEACH MURDERER
TRIES IT ON A JAIL GUARD.

cape lTCEu Jdll DS ONCA PO " S%AO
Guards-He Gets Into the Corridor
but is Driven Back to His Cell at
the Point of a Pistol-His Attack
Upon James DinoE-The Prints of
His Fingers on the Old Guards Neck
Tell the Story of Smiths Murder.
Tom Cassidy, the convicted murderer of
George Smith, at Tybee Beach, last July,
made desperate attempt to escape from
jail early yesterday morning by overpower-
ing the guard, James Dinon, an old man of
o.
About o'clock Cassidy called to Dinon,
who was sitting on guard on the bridge,
and asked to be permitted to go to the
water closet. Dinon went into the inner
corridor, unlocked Cassidy's cell door, and,
passing out, locked the door leading into
the corridor and threw off the brake from
thecell doors. Cassidy came out, and when
he returned asked Dinon what time it was.
The guard told him il was 2:02 o'clock.
Cassidy then entered his cell, and called out
IAN right" Dinon tried TO work the
brake, but as it worked hard he concluded
that it was down. He again unlocked the
door leading into the corridor and going in
went to Cassidy's cell
ANONhGO 1hh VI AMI bt"Ns
Just as he was about to put the key in the
door to lock il, Cassidy Sprang out and dealt
the guard blow on the head. It was not
as effective as Cassidy intended it should be,
for the old man cried out as he fell Cassidy
was on him in moment and struck him
several blows, finally clutchIng him by the
throat and choking him into inSensiblllty,
He then took his revolver from his holster,
but as he started to leave the PROSTATE man
he found Guard Henry c. Hastedt at the
Jail Office window below ready TO cover him
with his pistol.
Officer Hastedt, who sleeps in a room ad-
joining the Office, heard the scuiile through
the open door, and little dog outside
began 70 bark vigorously when Cassidy
struck Dinon down Hastedt sounded the
alarm. and Sheriff Roman and Jailer
kinchlev were II the Office in 8 moment.
Before thew reached the Office, however,
Dinon had staggered to his feet sad made his
way 10 the Office door, sn1 asked 70 be let
out This Is what CASSIDY hsi expected,
for he stood pistol in hand 7esdy 10 shoot
HaStedt If he should open The door 10 come
to the rescue Of DinoD- Essi@al had his
wits about him. and ruSros1 Cassidy from
the office window until TIE Sheriff aud
Deputy Jailer arrived
THEY'VE GOT NE NOW
Cassidy mutterei They've 70, me now"
and retreated sulle1ly 70 his cal The door
was then opened, Dinon was taken out, and
Officer HaStedt passed in, covering Cassidy
with revolver until the ruffian gave up the
old guards weapon. Din was taken to
his home and DR.. Duncan was called in.
After an examination of the wounded man,
he decided that he had no internal injuries.
A MORNING NEWS reporter called to see
the injured man late in the afternoon. He
was resting easy, but his head and face
were one mass of bruises and Commissions.
His left arm was badly cut and his throat
was swollen and painful from the deadly
clutch of his would-be murderer, so that he
could scarcely speak above a whisper.
With difficulty be detailed the facts
connected with CaSsidy's assault upon him.
which were substantially as given above
When told that Cassidy had said that Dinon
had grossly insulted him, the old man re-
piled that it was absolutely untrue. The
only time that he had ever spoken to CASH
dy he said, was to give him the time when
Cassidy asked him.
A DESPERATE PLAN.
Cassidy's plans were we'll laid He in
tended that his first blow should prevent
any outcry. Then, with DinonS revolver
and the Jail keys, he would havs turned
loose lot of desperadoes, and in the excite
ment would most likely have made his
escape. He counted upon time when he
knew that Dinon, an old man, would be the
only one awake. Fortunately the plot mis-
carried, although the desperate man would
not have scrupled to take life to effect his
freedom.
The dead body of Smith showed just such
marks as were inflicted upon Dinon, and
while there was a shade of doubt ia the
minds OF some as TO Cassidy's guilt, the act
of yesterday has done much TO dispel that
doubt. Cassidy has all along avowed his
innocence. Some believed that he was sin
cere in the avowal, and interested them
solves in aiding him To a trial
Their advice to him was to so conduct him
self as to prove HIS innocence. This advice
he disregarded a second time, and came
very near adding a second murder to his
charge. That he was capable of doing it
was shown as he stood defiantly over the
body of the kind old man he had struck
down, awaiting guard to come TO his assis-
lance that he might shoot him and make
good his escape.
HIS SECOND ATTEMPT.
Cassidy was in the conspiracy at the old
Jail, last fall, at which time the negro Fred
Wright, struck down Dinon then, and was
himself shot and wounded by Guard Hastedt.
Wright's attack was premature. At that
time Ward, who burglarized Davis Bros
safe, and Cassidy had planned a general
Jail delivery. Cassidy had wrapped the
butt end of a bro omstick with a cloth,
which was to be used as a gag The
plan was to have quietly grasped
Dinon by the throat the following
night, gagged him and bound him in Cas-
sidy's cell Cassidy was to take his revolver
and keys, the other two were to take the
iron feet of their bedsteads as weapons, and.
overpowering the outer guard, make their
escape. Wright, in his eagerness, saw, as
he thought, the favorable opportunity and
acted too early, and the ball shot into him
ty the officer took the courage out Of him.
Cassidy denied completely in the conspiracy,
but the gag that ne had prepared, and
Wards confession afterward, corroborated
the charge.
THE OLD GUARD NOT TO BLAME
Quite number of people expressed them-
selves yesterday TO the effect that Cassidy
ought to be put in the dungeon, but Sheriff
Roman said that there is no ventilation in it
and that it would be certain death to the
man. 1t would be about equivalent TO put
ting a man III a trunk and shutting the lid
down.
There are some who blame Dinon for let
ting Cassidy out of his cell, but no blame
can attach for the privilege that Dinon
accorded the prisoner. From Dinon's state
meut he apprehended no danger, and
thought that the cell brake had dropped far
enough to hold the door until he could more
securely fasten it from the inner corridor.