Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-09
Prisoners Well Provided With Tools
for Working,
AND DOZENS OF BRICKSREMOVED
From the South Wall, Above the Cell
Building.
Five Prisoners Active in The Work, Which has
Been Going on for Ten Days-Anoihsr
Hour Of Freedom from Inter-
ference Would Have
Mean! Liberty.

Sheriff Franzheim, Jailor George
Weisgerber and the force Of Deputy
Sherfs and guards at the jail slept a
little more soundly last night than for
week or two past.
great strain has been taken of
their minds. caused during the period
named by the ever-present fear that a
conspiracy which they knew existed
among the prisoners in the jail to effect
their escape, might succeed before the
authorities had matters in just the
right position 10 step in and stop it,
The time to act arrived yesterday,
and the culprits were brought up sud
denly with round turn, without their
having suspected that they had been
watched or their plans found out, the
guilty men were put in close eOnfne-
ment, their tools removed, and steps
taken, as far as they could be under the
circumstances, 10 prevent further
trouble of similar nature in the fu-
ture. until the Board Of Commissioners
shall have such alterations and repairs
made in the jail aS will make further
efforts in the same line futile.
The descent made upon the prisoners
Yesterday was sudden and entirely I'M
expected by them. and they were about
the most surprised set OF men imagin-
able when suddenly confronted by the
Sheriff and his deputies and charged,
'in open meeting" with the plot TO
escape. Fur about five minutes most
OF them looked as though they could be
knocked down with a wet sponge, and
il was half an hour before two or three
very mild pleas OF not guilty were heard
from the prisoners, who submitted 70
being driven about from one portion OF
the cell building TO another like flock
OF sheep.
RING-LEADERS N THE PLOT.
The ring-leaders in the plot to break
fail were Anthony Corners and Clifford
Hanes, and intimately associated with
them were John Sutton, John Michaels
land John Sheflln. All the other pris-
oners knew what was being done by
these FIVE men, and il is believed a good
proportion of the entire number would
have proited by the break for freedom
on the part OF the five named. None Of
the inmates had either the desire or
the courage to inform the authorities,
probably fearing that a terrible beat
Ing would be inflicted upon them by the
plotters, while no benefit would accrue
through the Court before which they
would be arraigned for the offenses
with which they were charged.
DISCOVERED TEN DAYS AGO.
About ten days ago Sheriff Franzheim
and Tailor Weisgerber became satisfied
that plot to break jail was In exist
ence, and mindful OF the former at
tempt, soon after the prisoners were
removed from the old jail, to cut
through the wall above the cell build
ing, they organized a strict watch over
the pris oners, the Sheriff, the JailOr
or some OF the subordinate officers
standing watch for hours in a position
which commanded a view Of the sur
roundings OF the cells. THIS surveil-
lance resulted in the discovery that
operations were under way ht the wall
in the same old place, on top OF the
cell building, but for several days there
was an uncertainty as 10 which OF the
prisoners were engaged In the work,
and entire ignorance exist d as to how
many were in the plot, whether or not
outside aid was expected, alnd just how
the scheme was being worked. No In
timatlOn was given the prisoners OF
the suspicious OF the Offifers, or the
facts learned by them, but the watch
fulness Of the officials wds redoubled,
every movement made byI the prisoners
at all hours being notedf Lest there
be some slip in the arrangements,
Chief MeNichol was Il ken into the
Sheriff's confidence, audi four or five
trusted officers kept close watch
outside the Jail, lookin) u as much for
persons who might In bend TO aid the
prisoners from the outSi he, as TO see that
the birds inside did hot bring their
scheme to a sudden lead and get free.
THE PLOT I'D ICKENS.
Matters remained ID this shape for
several days, and b last Friday the
mOdus operandi was pTNstty fully under.
stood. The latter hpart of last
week, officers standing at upper peep
holes, giving a conf nand Of the
east corridor of the ce building, saw
Anthony ConnOrs climb Nthe big venti-
lating pipe in the south( last corner of
the cell building thd BEE mornings
In succession, between the hours
Of six and seven o'clock, and
disappear over the DtoD OF the
block Of cells. There he would work
on the south wall, SOM times for q
quarter Of an hour, some lines longer,
and would then come dow b, being re-
lieved at times by chi lord Hanes.
Sutton, Michaels and s heflin would
be seen in consultation " nth the two
named, but as they also talked with
others, several days pasSe before the
could sift the rim g-leaders in
The plot ont from the crowd and come
10 definite conclusion as b Just how
many were active in the sc heme. All
ne observations had TO be lpade By the
Sheriff and JailOr through peep-hole
lbout an inch in diameter, Ind officers
stationed at it watched the ID IN during
'arious days while they WOE 3 at the
rick wall, while others "a TO be
Icing something in their ce
An examination OF the IN
he cells showed that son
we're missing. while other
n half. and this showed
cling manufactured