Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-04
PLOTTING PRISONERS.
EVIDENT ATTEMPT TO EMPTY THE
COUNTY JAIL.
the Water-Tank at Night
The Supposed Plan.

On Monday night last Jailer c. G.. Cogs-
well, of the County Jail, had little expe-
rience within the walls of that institution
to which at the time he did not attach
much importance, but the more he thought
of it the more he is convinced that there
was deep and deadly plot behind it all,
and that he was to be the victim. 1t is
the custom of the Jailer to lock each
prisoner in his cell between and clock
in the evening, and he was assisted in
this duty on Monday evening by trusty
named William Madden, who followed af-
ter him and turned down the lights.
Among the prisoners in the jail is one
Robert Mccarthy, who is serving a three
months term for petit larceny. When
arrested there stood against him the fact of
a prior conviction, which made his case
one of felony. Out of consideration for
the youth of the prisoner-and in the hope
that he might reform if not sent to the
Penitentiary-he was allowed to withdraw
his plea of not guilty, and then pleaded
guilty to petit larceny, and was sentenced
to the County Jail for three months. He
had been permitted even to act as trusty,
and the officer in charge regarded him as a
very tractable prisoner.
HIS COT WAS STUFFED.
On this occasion Coggswell looked into
his cell, as usual, and supposed he saw Nc
Carthy on his cot, as the bed had the appear
ance of having an occupant. He passed
on, after locking the cell-dor, followed by
Madden, the trusty. Just as the Jailer had
concluded his round the lights in the cor
ridor suddenly went out. On being ques-
toned as to the cause, Madden said it was
only an accident on his part, and the Jail
er's suspicion was not for a moment
aroused. The jets were relishted, and
Madden finally locked up by the Jailer.
A STARTLING DISCOVERY.
While he had no suspicion but that the
prisoners were all safely locked in their
cells, Coggswell deemed it prudent to thor
oughly inspect the premises, as usual, and
he got step-ladder and assembled to the top
of the water -tank in the center of the Jail
yard. There he found Mccarthy lying fiat
on his stomach, and evidently trying to
hide. Coggswell drew his gun" and COM
PEELED the fellow to come down. The latter
declared that his only purpose IN secreting
himself outside his cell was TO make up a
lot of cigarettes for his jail companions,
and he told so plausible story that the
Jailer was inclined to believe him. But
since then Mccarthy has told others that he
got upon the tank in order to pass some to-
bacco to prisoners in another part OF the
Jail, and the officers are now pretty thor
oughly convinced that it was only part of
plot, and one to which the other trusty,
Madden, was party.
THE SUPPOSED PLAN OF ACTION.
The Jailer sleeps within the Jail, but
never closes his door, as the prisoners are
all locked in the iron tanks at night, or
should be; and the theory of the Sheriff S
officers now is that McCarthy's purpose was
if he avoided detection-to descend from
his hiding place after the Jailer had retired,
enter the latter's room and obtain his keys,
even if he had to murder Coggswell in or
der to accomplish his object. With the
keys in his possession he could have IN
locked every door in the Jail, and have
turned loose the entire lot of prisoners
therein.
The cigarette and tobacco excuses are
now believed to have been mere excuses
and that well-laid plot to empty the jail
and perhaps commit a murder-came
very near being successfully carried out.