Huntsville gazette., 1889-08-03
CLEVER WORK,
Jailer Pentecost Discovers =
Plot by His Prisoners to
Escape.
And on Searching Their Cells Find
Eight Steel Saws

1aller Pentecost, Sheriff Murphy an,
Deputy Sheriff Weaver yesterday ,norn,
ing spoiled very neat plan Of some q
'he prisoners confined in the Jail to es
cape from their present quarters.
sometime since there was U. S pris-
onef named Collins in the iaiI. who's
cell was just opposite to that of VIM,
CLARK, the man awaiting trial for the
robbery OF the store Of Martin 4 Crocke,
at q GIadstone.
night or two before the expiration
oil Collins sentence Jailer Pentecost
overheard him and Clark in conversa,
ton In regard to note which Clark uro.
ed Collins to be sure and not forget TO
deliver as soon as he was released.
This aroused Officer Pentecost's sus.
piciOn and before releasing Coll,rs ha
searched him and found note on his
person, ifom Clarke to his wife who is
staying in the city, telling her to send to
Memphis, Tenn, under ficticious name
and get half dozen steel s4ws.
The note put the jailer more than ever
on the alert. and he has for some time
past been closely watching the Jail and
eavesdropping the prisoners at night.
And during this period of extra watch
ing he received intimation that saws
had been conveyed to Clark, and learns
ed to thoroughly understood the plan
for escape.
Officer Pentecost informed Sheriff
Murphy ef the existence of such plan
on the part of Clark and decided on
Thursday morning as time to search
Clark's cell. But Sheriff Murphy was
too busy Thursday and the search was
postponed until yesterday morning.
At the time agreed on yesterday, Pen,
tocost, Sheriff Murphy and Deputy Sher,
if Weaver met at the jail to make the
search. Messrs. Weaver and Pentecosl
entered Clark's cell, in which were also
two other prisoners, and told the men
that they were going to search then and
their cell and transfer them to another
cell.
Clark waited for no more, but said.
"Well, gentlemen | know what YOU
want and | guess there is use OF trying
t. keep them from you," and took six
steel saws from his pocket and banded
them over, probably thinking the Off
GERS would search no farther, insisted
that those were all there We're in the
cell. But Jailer PentecJst had learned
that there were other saws concealed in
the cell and taking crow bar be priced
down the base board Of the room and
between the board and the wall found
two more saws making in all eight. A
thorough search failed to reveal any
thing else calculated to aid the prisoners
to escape.
Clark claims that the saws were con,
veyed to him by friend who elm bed
over the fence into the yard few nights
since and handed them though the wins
dow.
This story is very improbable as the
Jail has been closely guarded and it
would be impossible for man to climb
the fence without being arrested.
The officers think they know how
Clark procured them, but do not care to
say anything about it now.
The saws which are now in the hands
OF Sheriff Murphy are OF case hardened
diamond pointed steel and are very ef-
fective on iron and steel.
But for the careful wa ching of Jailer
Pentecost the prisoners would, in all
probability, have succ .eded in the pl
to escape, and he deserves great credit
for lis diligence as an officer.
There are at present thirty five han
employed on the Government building.