The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-05
He SIMPLY VANISHED.
The Mysterious Escape OF a Mail
Robber From the County
Jail.
John Brown, OF Butte, Was There
Monday, but Gone
Tuesday.
by q Curious Coincidence Ills Absence
Wa First Discovered While Try
Ing to Deliver IL Letter.

Some time during juno a mail pouch dos
tined for the east was found in tho yards OF
the union depot at Butte, cut and riied.
The postal authorities worked on the CASE
and in the course of n few days arrested
two men who gave the names of John
Brown and Henry Ward. The latter made
a partial confession in which he said that
Brown had told him where the stolen sack
was concealed and invited him to paytici-
pate in rifinR it. The sack had been pulled
OF tho depot platform while waiting for
the east-bound train. The two men were
brought to Helena and, pending action of
tho United States grand jury, were
placed in the county jail, temporarily in
the old church on Ewing street. About
two weeks ago 1t was discovered that
Brown had nearly sawed through the steel
floor of his cell. which is a foot or SO above
the level OF the church. How he got the
saw is not known, but when caught ut the
attempt to escape he threw it into the stove.
He had nearly cut through the heavy steel
plates, and a few more efforts with the saw
or n crowbar would have let Brown and his
two companions who occupied the cell with
him out into the body of the old church,
from which place escape would have beer
easy. The cell where this attempt
was made was Immediately closed up and
the three prisoners removed to another par
of the cage. 1t was evident that some ONT
had been passing tools to Brown from thu
outside or otherwise helping him. In ordel
to prevent such a thing occurring agar
electric attachments we're go arranged that
any one raising or lowering q window
either from the inside or the outside, woult
at once ring an alarm in the office. AS tn
prisoners we're not allowed outside the stee
cage it was thought this additional caution
would make the temporary jail absolutely
safe from invasion or evasion.
About noon yesterday a letter was de
livered at the Jail addressed to Brown ant
postmarked Deer Lodge. It was carried
into the Jail by Under Sheriff Richards
None of the prisoners knew where he was
at least so they said. One Of them said b
was around on Monday, but the closes
questioning failed to elicit any information
as to when or how he had left. An exami
nation was made of the cells and the stee
the sides. the floor or the top. The cells Of
each side are all locked by a lever from tn
outside. 1t was evident Brown had no
picked the lock.
How to get out of the old church whel
free from the cage was a thing capable o
many plausible explanations. But how T.
get out of the steel cell first and then pas
the outer walls of the steel cage withou
cutting n bar, was something none of th
Jail official have been able to explain q
yet. The only explanation possible Is the
by some means the prisoner slipped out thu
door of the cage at a time when it wa
opened to pass in meals or admit a me-
man. and then watching his opportunity
boldly walked out the front way, eithe
through the kitchen or the office.