Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-03-11
Mills Escape.

1
Shortly after O'Clock last Friday even
ing boy ran down street shouting run
to the Jail, the prisoners are escaping, the
| prisoners are on the roof" and in few
minutes the Jail was surrounded by several
hundred men and boys of the town. A
new five eights inch rope " s found hangirg G
| from the north side, and it was thought, at
| first, that some OF the prisoners were yet
on the roof, but that proved to be mis-
take, as the six who wanted to go had al
ready gone, and the others were in the
Jail room.
The names of those who escaped were
James F. Mills, charged with the murder
of Dugan; T. j. Black, charged with E.
B.. Jesse Smith, larceny OF money from
n. McGarvey; Charles Miller, charged
with F. & b Joseph Gibson, charged with
larcency, aud James Britin charged
with larceny of money at Lowry House,
the last two are colored men.
At noon next day young Geo. Limberg,
son of Rev. L., came to town and told of
two men, one of whom looked like Mills,
having slept in their barn over night, and
quite party started in pursuit through
the woods north east of town, searching
barns, etc as they went The party con-
sisted of Detective Allen Col. Redic, Mat.
Leible and JAS 0rris, all mounted. They
went in couples, and when they came to
an old vacant house near Oneida station
on the Shenango X. r Redic remained
behind the house while Allen went To the
front, and Just as he reached the door
Smith came out Allen covered him with
his pistol and ordered him to surrender,
which Smith vas willing to do, but just
then Allen looked toward the window aud
saw that Mills had him covered, and he
dropped off his horse and ran back to Red
ic the track was then clear for both men
to escape and they ran up the wooded ra-
vine, Mills leading. Smith got tired and
hid in fallen tree top, and Redic and
Allen passed him, and followed Mills who
waded up the run and hid under
rock, and his pursuers lost his track and
left him there. Farmer Hendricks and
his son followed after the party and found
Smith hid in the tree top, and brought him
to town. Smith says that mills arranged |
the escape; that the bole in the ceiling of
his cell was sawed by Black and others; |
that when everything was ready last Fri |
day evening the piece OF iron, which Is |
only about a quarter of an inch thick, was
broken out; that Mills let string down |
from the back window of the Jail aud pull |
ed up the rope which was furnished by |
somebody on the outside, and 1t was slip |
ped up through the bolc and tied TO a RAJ |
ter near the hole they had made in the |
roof, the end let down, the opportunity
watched for, and when it came they went
out. Mills went first and he followed,
and as soon as he landed, Mills told him
he must go with him. They struck out
for the Snenango r. R., but made mis-
take, as neither knew the road and took
one of the roads leading north from town
and went ont several miles, then finding
their mistake headed eastward and south
southwark and got to the hill north east
of town about q. m. They were very
tired and crawled into Limberg's barn and
slept in the hay NOW till after 10 O'Clock
next day, Mills feet were sticking out of
the hay and young Limberg saw them aud
awakened him, and not knowing who
they we're got them something to eat.
Then thev took off through the woods and
were resting in the old house when Allen
and Redic came up to them. They saw
them coming and were about to leave
when Allen reach the front door. Mills
covered Allen, he ran back and they ran
up the hollow. He was glad to get rid of
Mills, who had pistol and said he would
not be taken alive
The escape occurred about 8 p. IN. and
just after the Sheriff left the house, and
the family got their first word of it from
John W. Higginss lin jail for wife beating)
who ratified the Jail door till be attracted
Mrs Browns attention and then told her
that the prisoners were escaping.
Britin was arrested at Gallery Juuction
next morning by Messrs. Sutton and Daub
enspeck who had driven there during the
night. and was brougnt back and locked up;
but he would divuige nothing. Black was
caught in a feed box in Renirew.
After the trail of Mills was lost near
Oneida Saturday night, tracks were fol-
lowed through Clay, Concord, Donegal
and Fairyiew twps. TO East Brady, but
East Brady, but they proved to be those
of harmless lunatic.