The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-10
HIS SAW WASAKNIFE.
How Dolan Sawed Through
County Jail Bars.
FOOLED At THE OUTER GRATING.
Bread aud water for Four Days Yoroee
Confsssien From the WoulA.
BE JAIN Breaker.

After four days in dark cell with diet
Of bread and water Thomas Dolan, who
attempted to break ont of the county Jail
last Wednesday morning. confessed to
Jailer Munroe yesterday and will plead
guilty when arraigned before Judge
Humes. In his confession he takes tho
entire blame on himself and screens John
Waldron and Tom Kelly, who were,
according to the belief of Jail authorities,
implicated in the plot. The details of the
affair, from beginning to end. we're told to
. PosT-INTELLIeKxcER reporter yesterday
afternoon and then compared with the
story told the jailer. In all essential
points the two accounts agreed.
After Dolan was captured by Jailer
Munroe he refused to say word concern
ing how he sawed the bars and where the
saws were obtained. This obstinate con-
duct forced the authorities TO put him in
the dark cell. adorn his ankles with
chains and limit his allowance of TODD to
plenty of water and two half loayes of
bread each day. Dolan stood the strain
without fiinching until yesterday morn
ing, when his eyes filled with tears and
the story 30 long held back came out. 1t
was a. follows:
There were two Cinnamon brought in one day
for smoking opium, and noticed that while
they were getting ready for dinner one of them
had two Oid-fashioned knives with which he
was making some eating sticks. Three OF W
were watching the operation. and it struck me
there was chance to escape if We could get
possession OF the knives without the 1ailer
knowing of it The Cinnamon gave them up
without saying word and secreted them in
my bunk. Then got a piece OF common yell
low soap, and thus prepared. planned the e.
cape l believed that II could cut the bars OF
the steel tank the same thing could be done on
the larger bars OF the outside windows and
once outside the building it would have been
al easy matter to have hidden away until the
opportunity came for trip East
l took the two knives and by striking one with
the other soon had rough and rather jagged
saw. 1t was not good for fine work. but "a l
could not be particular I went ahead with the
work on the bars. 1t was slow work and the
chances Of getting caught made 1t still risky.
but calculated 90 that the work was COM
menced short time after Jailer Munroe had
been around and made his weekly inspection OF
the cage and windowa After working ~ long
a. dared would fill up the cut with soap,
conceal the tools and wait for another chance
to 60 on with the work. 1t took about . day
ou0 = u0h W cut Out, 0uQ IL was CltueI WSSA
ago Saturday or Sunday night that the escape
was to be made. After We had been locked in
for the night the bars were removed and access
to the space or walk between the cage and the
walls proper was obtained. Two of the pris-
oners known to be Waldron aud Kelly
came out also, and . window at the south
end Of the room was raised. 1t was impossible
to squeeze through the bars, so took the saw
and commenced work. 1t didn't take long to
10 mo hat thn 10 M Tho hQrn
were too hard, and l could not cut them . little
bit. All did was to scrape of the paint Thor
oughly Disguised at the outcome of the plot,
gave 1t up for the time, and together with the
two others who had come out returned to the
cell. The bars were replaced and soaped. l
had about come to the conclusion that IL was
useless to 90 any further when the thought Of
what would happen If the sawed bars were dis
covered came to me 1t was about an even
thing. so far - was concerned. whether was
caught trying to get out or the cut bars were
found before had made the attempt Then
again, I was feeling sore because I had
been sentenced, a. I believe. uulaw-
fully. l had nine months before me,
while my companions had only three
They declined to make any further attempt, but
agreed not to give me away. thought the
matter over for some time aud came to the con-
cusion to make the break in the morning when
Jailer Munroe let the TRUSTEES out to get break.
fast The only thing was afraid of was that If
got past him he might see me going through
the Office and shoot There 10 no use talking, I
did not like the idea of having bullet In me-
but wanted to get out and took the chances.
The result every one knows. Ii had succeeded
in getting away from Munroe / would have hid
during the day and at night struck out for Black
River Junction. There ! would have caught the
overland for the East and gone TO Boston. OF
course, would not have gone first or sec.
ond-class passenger, but IN q pinch the trucks
are pretty good.
While Dolan was talking to Jailer Mum
roe he said that he would go into court
and plead guilty % the charge of attempt.
ing to break Jail, but on no considerations
would he implicate anyone else. This de-
cision was made while in the possession of
the knowledge that he could save himself
by giving up his companion cor pirators
1t is the belief of the jailer that w aldron
and Kelly got Dolan to enter into o COM
pact of life or death, and when the origi-
nal plan failed nagged him On to make a
break and thus cover up their interest in
the removing of the bars. which would
have been discovered at the next in.
spection.
The history Of Dolan's crime is brief, and
presents a peculiar phase of the law. He
was told to get out of the city by tho
municipal court under the vagrancy law.
On his way south. on foot. he met
some boon companions and they stopped
at every saloon and brewery from
the north end of Grant street bridge to
Georgetown. All got roaring drunk. and
with great bravado came back to the CITY.
Dolan had on delapidated trousers He
was troubled over his appearance, and
took a pair from the first second hand
store he came to. The proprietors ran out
and yelled ''police" just as Detective
George Cave was coming around the cor
ner. The result was that Dolan appeared
before Judge Rivers again the next morn.
ing, and his honor was so put out at the
contempt of his order 10 leave town that
he imposed a fine of SIS and ordered him
to be committed in default. In addition
he imposed bonds for good behavior, which
ran the term of imprisonment up to mex.
December. The latter clause has alwav,
been a thorn in Dolan's side. and he be-
lieves the Judge acted without proper
authority. This, however, has been de.
cided otherwise.
spanish Juanfta Under Arrest.
Capt. +. 4. Sims received q telephone
dispatch from Tacoma last night announc.