The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-01-09
ROK JAIL,
Seven Criminals Confined In tn. :.
Jail ESCAPE.

,.u - Eatj
BUTTE, Jan. 6.-[Special to the n.
UNE l-Seven inmates of the count.
escaped from custody about 3oIIN
this morning. Sheriff Lloyd was .nS
ened by some dogs in the yard ba,l.
and looking into the east Jail .v,,l|
could sec the figure of a man s%caI,n,,
wall in the northwest corner of tLn us
rear the wood pile. Grabbing his iaN
chester, the sheriff hastened ONT h,"a
side door not waiting to put on his q s
or any hoavy clothing. When he o.,
into the yard the men had disapne,.og
Running to the kitchen door he ra,
prisoner coming out. lie ordered ~
back and going into the kitchen Tomn19
another man who had Just dcsrnnJ
the food elevator that runs from ~
kitchen into the Jail On the floor aGo%l
He held both men at bay at the n,,,
of a pistol until the %jailcr, Jerry l;riBg
came to his assistance, when the rr
were marched upstairs TO the Jail. '
When the Jail was entered the mar,a
OF the mems escape was revealed n.y. .
glance. The prisoners are kent in :
massive iron cage. which stands in H.
center Of the two-,tory room. The o.,
terror covering is a lattice work of chiu,5
steel bars, on the inside of which are n,
iron cells. The doors of the latter ss
closed by a heavy steel bar, operatsi
from the outside of the cage. and eat
cell door cOnnec with this by A Icve,
In order to get out of the cells. which
are shut up with their criminal inmats.
inside about 6 o'clock every evoninn
they had to cut the bolts holding n.
lever of the eel! door, so that when en-,
ridor, No. l, was closed last night col
No. j door was open to all intents and
purposes, though apparently closed.
A jailer is on duty all night, who al
intervals makes his rounds to see that Al
is safe. Jerry Griffith was on duty las
night and about half past . he wen
down to the basement to attend to III,
fires. or course when he left the iai
room the entire place was apparent
stepped in slumber. During his abscpc
the escape was effected.
Using tine lever of the cell door as
lever the door was wrenched open. One
IN the corridor it was an easy thing witt
the powerful bar of steel to snap tire
of the upright and one crossbar of III
lattice work, making an opening througI
which a mans body could pass. ThrougI
this opening nine men got out into tn
Jail. In front Of them stood III
food elevator with the ropes hanging il
it. by which they descended to the Xxi,
chen Immediately underneath. Her
excessive caution must have been use,
as none of the inmates in the room
occupied by the family of Sheriff L1ov
heard any noise. 1t was a simple matte
to open the kitchen door leading int
the yard when n after another dashp
across to the correr of the yard wher
the wood pile stood, mounted the wa
and were otf-once again free men.
How long the men had worked OF tn
bolts that was the initial point of the
liberty, no one can tell. Sharp saws thu
must have had, and the men who work.
at it worked with caution and secrec
and covered their work SO well that the
were never detected. The deed was VI
doubtedly done by Crowley and StaiIor,
the safe blowers, who are evidently Of
hands at the business. Whatever the
tools were they took them with them.
The nine had, at locking up tim
crowded into the cell from which the e.
cape was made, leaving their W eel
untenanted.
The names of the seven men and II
crimes for which they were in custod
G. G. Price, murder.
}. b. Smith, assault with intent to xii
f.. Stafford and Dan Crowley, SAT
blowing.
Frank Sparks, William Burke al
Thomas Cosgrove, robbery.
MIDNIGHT The escaped criminals al
still at large though the officers a
securing the adjacent county and car
f., l.E ,...t