Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-10
ArrEmprtp JAN pELIyERY.
Prisoners Mount to the Top OF the Cell
Building and Remove Bricks.

Prisoners Mount TO the Top OF the Cell
Building and Remove Bricks.
Last Saturday Tailor Weisgerber dis
covered that an attempt was being
made by the prisoners in his charge to
escape, and notifying Sheriff Franz
helm the prisoners we're confined to
their cells and an investigation made
which showed that a start had been
made at opening hole in the south
side of the jail building by prisoners who
had mounted to the top of the cell build
ing by climbing u large iron pipe which
runs up the south end of the building
from the lower floor. 1t seems that In
cleaning out the building after WORK
was doue a con siderable amount OF iron
scrap, large nails, spikes, bolts, ETC.,
were left on top of the cell building, the
workmen probably imagining that
prisoner would never get up there, and
the officials in charge OF the jail know
ing nothing of the presence OF the stun,
as no earthly provision had been made,
in building the Jail, for ordinary means
Of access to the top OF the cell building.
At certain hours during the day the
prisoners are let out of their cells for
exercise, to battle, &C., and during this
time OF freedom one or more OF the
prisoners climbed the pipe, in his bare
feet and easily reached the top of the
cell building. There he found the iron
scrap, and commuLi cated his discovery
TO some of his fellow prisoners. A
scheme TO break jail was at once con-
cocted, this being, probably, during the
first two or three days after the removal
of the prisoners from the old Jail, and.
was at once put into execution, one or
two prisoners ascending during their
time of liberty withimpunity, as the con-
struction Of the interior is such that no
view of the end of the east
corridor, on the lower floor, can be OBJ
tanned from the door of the front build
ing, and once on top of the cell build
ing they would work at cutting the
mortar out from around the bricks.
There are steel bars built into the walls
I'D as far as about two feet above the
top of the cell building, and the prison
ers seemed to have been we'll aware OF
this, as they began removing bricks
above the steel bars, and before they
were discovered they had taken out
enough of the inside Their OF brick to
make hole perhaps eighteen
inches square, and had cut
about all the mortar from
the second row of brick, leaving but the
outside row to cut through, a work
which would have required but little
time. AS the prisoners are only allowed
out of their cells in daylight, the scheme
probably was for two or three to hide
on top of the cell building, during the
day time, provided with strips OF 6lan-
ket, making up a dummy in their hunks
to deceive the turnkey, and after night
fall to remove the outside bricks anu
lower themselves to the ground, dis
lance Of perhaps forty feet.
When the discovery was made Sheriff
Franzheim locked the prisoners in their
cells and put them on bread and water
diet. This had it's effect by yesterday,
and ]. j. Smith, alias j. w. Williams,
weakened, and said that Frank john
son and James Rider, two prisoners
whose time expired on January 2d,were
the originatorS of the plan, and that he
was induced to go into it by them. lie
also said the work wascommenced soon
after the removal from the old jail, and
that nothing had been done since Janu-
airy 1st. This statement may or may
not be true, but Williams was con-
signed to a dungeon, and the lib
erty of the other prisoners has
been restricted by the Sheriff, while a
considerable number of iron articles, a
piece Of lead pipe and other stuff, which
should never have been allowed to re-
main for moment in building in
which prisoners were confined, were
gathered up and removed.
The fact is that the new jail cannot
be adequately looked after with the
present force. At best two more men
are necessary, and guard should be
in attendance on the observation plat
form of the cell building day and night,
if trouble is to be prevented in the fu-
ture. With but one man on duty, he
may be called to attend to prisoners in
the upper story of the front building at
any time, and in his absence prisoners
can do about as they please, especially
if they happen to Oe out of their cells.