Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-20
BOLD ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE.
a Convict in the oregon State Prisen
Risks His Life for Liberty
The Drama Ends AbruptIy.

The Oregon state penitentiary was
thrown into state of excitement
Sunday morning, between ten and
eleven o'clock, by the report that a
prisoner had escaped. An investi-
cation revealed the fact that one of
the neatest schemes ever attempted
at the pen had been almost executed.
Had the prisoner not been excited
and in too much hurry be doubtless
would have been far away at this
time. Between 10 and IL o'clock
Sunday morning the men ip the
third ward were let out of their cells
to clean them and take their turn at
the barber shop, as is the custom.
John Case, IA convict in that ward
was the man who had schpmed tc
escape. Case had taken with him
on leaving his cell rug which bad
been made of burlap sacks plated
in braids. This when unwound
made rope about 30 feet long with
strength to bear the weight of a
man. This he had concealed under
his clothes and when in the yard he
watched his opportunity. When all
the other men had returned he
scaled to the top of the lower win
dow from the yard by means of the
iron bars, or CRATES. From this lie
got on the the cornice of the tower
which is about three feet distant.
This gave him easy access to the
inner tower by going through a
window. He made his way to the
third story of the tower, went out
through a window on the cornice at
that point aud made the perilous
leap to the top of the main building.
The distance from the cornlce, wAich
is only about foot wide, to the
building is some five feet. To stand
on base of one foot against wall
almost perpendicular and leap oveI
chasm five feet, and this 30 feet
above ground is no small feat. This
was successfully done by the convict.
' When on this roof he could easily
grope his way to the west side of the
. pen without fear of detection.
When in the tower he had taken
the precaution to don himself in Cit
izens clothes and leave his stripes
behind. In room in the tower are
kept the clothes worn to the pen by
convicts. Among these he found a
suit to fit him.
At the west wing of the main
building he tied his burlap rope,
which was to send him out of prison.
around a chimney and begun the
descent, but when about one-third
of the distance to the ground his
hold slipped and he went down
with heavy jolt thus stunning him
and arousing those inside, who rush
ed out and captured him before he
gained his senses. The capturing
was the work of two trusty convicts
who work in the dining room. They
held him until the clerk, Mr.. Barr,
could come to the rescue with pair
of heavy revolvers. He was found
to be, or at. least pretended to be badly
hurt. The fall was between 15 and
20 feet.
Case is serving his second term.
He was convicted of larceny and
sent up from Clatsop county, Feb.
2, 1886. He was let out Jan. 8, 1889.
During that time he worked in the
bakery and was trusty. He was
convicted the last time in Multno-
nah county, January 1890, for an
assault with dangerous weapon,
and was sentenced to seven years.
During the time served on this SEN
tence he has worked in the mould
ing rooms.
This man with such a checkered
career was born in Missouri and is
only 27 years old. Had he not lost
his hold when making the descent,
he would now be in the mountains
and would be hard man 10 catch.
Warden ]. w. Berry says he will
prevent the possibility of another
man making the jump from the
tower to the roof.