The record-union., 1891-12-26
DESPERATE JOHN SANSOME.
A Scrap of interesting History Here
tofore Unwritten.
Why He Was Brought to sacramento
for Safe-Keeping-An Expert
Jail-Breaker.

Referring to the recent sending of John
aSansome, the convicted burglar, to the
Sacramento County Jail, the Placer Her
otd says: 1.-THE motion for a new trial in
the case of John Sansome, heretofore
convicted of the crime of burglarizing
Browns store at Iowa Hill on the 9th of
last May, was denied last week, and
Judge Prewett sentenced him to nine
years in Folsom State Prison. Sansome,
when he saw the bands tightening, arose
in court and attempted to make speech,
but the Judge shut him off by directing
the Sheriff to take him from the court
room. At the jail door he made another
scene by cursing Sheriff Conroy for his
arrest, and denouncing everybody who
had anything to do with his conviction.
He warned the Sheriff that he would get
out, and boosted that there was not Jail
in California strong enough to hold him.
IL. l.. Chamberlain, his counsel, pro-
poses to apply for a certificate of proba-
BILE cause, which will keep him out of
State Prison until passed upon by the
Supreme Court.
I'm view, therefore, of the prospects of
having him here long time, and having
in mind one Of Sansome's exploits in the
way of preparing the Auburn Jail for an
escape at the time Butler was Sheriff,
Conroy made affidavit before the court as
to the insecurity of the Auburn Jail for
such criminals, aud Judge Prewett at
once made an order transferring him to
Sacramento. Accordingly he was taken
down that evening and lodged in an iron
tank in the Sacramento jail, Conroy
agreeing 20 pay the cost of keeping him
there in excess of the cost here.
1T is a matter of history, but not gen
pTqilW known baf whom this SO,
some was in Auburn jail several years
ago, some person, supposed to be female
relative, supplied him with four neat
little saws. After he had sawed the bolts
and bars to suit him, and filled the cuts
with black paste, he sent for Sheriff But
Ter, and handing him the saws, pretended
he had just found them, and of course was
too good TO either use them or keep them
Had the law gone against him his pur-
pose was to knock off the sawed bolts and
skip out. In that case, however, the law
freed him, and as he evidently did not
relish the thought of having so much la
Dor wasted, he, before going out, turned to
Daniels, in for murder at Cisco, and Crisis
man, in for horse-stealing, and told them
what he had done, and as he was then all
right and theirs were pretty doubtful
cases, he generously suggested that they
might avail themselves of the benefit of
his laborS.
He walked out free man, and the
escape soon after of Daniels and Crissman
and the story of how they had sawed the
bolts, etc., and the sensation caused by
the same, are matters well known. Crisis
man was subsequently arrested by Con-
roy, and is now in States Prison, but
Daniels has never been caught.
"All Will remember about these men
getting away, but it has never been made
public before that they owed their escape
TO the labor and ingenuity of the notori-
Gus John SanSome.
''Our Sheriff and Judge were wise in
| transferring him to Sacramento"