Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-10-28
ATTEMPTED PRISON DELIVERY.
A Daring and Bold Attempt to Escape
From the State Penitentiary-
The Scheme one of Nerve.

One of the boldest and one that
required all the nerve possible, at
tempts to escape from behind prison
walls was brought to halt at the
State penitentiary on Friday noon
last.
The plot was deeply laid one and
had it not been for one of the con-
victs it would have probably been
successful one. AT any rate it re-
quired a considerable amount of
nerve to undertake the .job.
1t seems that Frank Watson, aged
twentythree years, who is up from
Wasco county, for seven years, on a
charge of larceny from a dwelling,
and who has just served little over
one year of his time decided that
prison life did not suit his fancy,
and he determined to make his es-
cape if possible. He placed into his
secret his chums, two other convicts,
VIM. Goolsby, who was in for one
year from Wasco county, for larceny,
and John Dougherty, who is up for
five years for burglary. Dougherty is
the man who burglarized Hon. ID. u.
Thompson's house in Portland, and
he yet has four years TO serve. He
then decided to work some avenue
of escape, and during last May be-
gan operations.
They selected as their base of
operation pace near the dynamo,
in the warehouse. When the prison
ers were taken to work in the morn
ing it was quite dark sometimes,
caused by fogg and smoke and the
three prisoners took advantage of
this and when unnoticed they raised
a board up from the floor and the
two placed Dougherty under the
floor. He tunnelled away and was
released from his place of work in
time each day to answer to roll call
All went well for several days until Il
prisoner by the name of Geo. III.
Robinson discovered the plot and in
formed the shop guard that some
thing was going to happen and put
the officers ON the watch. The Of
Acers decided to watch the three and
let them ct caught in their own
trap. The work of tunnelling under
the building went bravely on for
couple of months, all taking hand
at the work until they stopped
operations for some cause and did
not resume work again until about
three weeks ago.
Thursday night it was decided
that, as the tunnel had been COM
pleted to the race, that Frank Wat
son, the seven year man, should try
and make his escape. Accordingly
Friday morning Watson was secreted
under the floor and when the roll
was called at noon it was found
that one man was missing, only 2lS
instead of 219, the num-
Der that came to work i'm the morn
ing.
Search was made, and the plank
raised, and there on the ground laid
Watson. He was dragged out. 1t
was discovered that he had prepared
well for the escape as he had with
him two pairs of drawers, coat,
n can of corned beef and several
such articles. He was prepared to
live i'm this place about four days
with the food he had i'm store, and as
the tunnel ran to the water ditch, he
could stand his situation well. 1t
was his intention, as SOON as night
came on to escape from under the
and try and scale the
wall and escape.
Goolsby's time expired on Friday
and it was the intention of Goolsby
to return to the prison ut night and
assist Watson to escape, after which
4 20 t..s, bA
avenue of escape. Goolsby was
given % days extra time for partici-
pating in the affair and the extra
time for good behavior will be
knocked into a cooked hat on the
other gents record.
The prisoner, Robson, was
placed as trusty to-day as II reward
for his faithfulness. Robson has
always been well behaved prisoner
and his time should be shortened.