The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-08-26
THEY WERE
JUST IN
TIME.
Policemen Prevent a Jail
Delivery.
WORK OF THREE EX-CONVICTS
Who Were Awaiting Trial for
Burglary.
WORK OF THREE EX-CONVICTs
AN ALAMEDA JAILER ATTACKED.
A Brave Fight Against Odds-The
Cries of Woman-A PIucky
Little Trusty.

tempt was made by number of prisoners
confined in the Alameda County Jail, Oak
| land, to ESCAPE last evening. Ed Giligan,
the head jailer, was overpowered and
would have been murdered had it not been
fer the assistance of three TRUSTEES and the
prompt arrival Of the police. As it is, the
! jailer is considerably bruised and one of
the TRUSTEES is minus two teeth, and three
| prisoners are in dark cell suffering from
blows on the head.
The leaders in the assault were Jimmy
| ODonnell, Lewis Miller and Charlie:
Phillips, all awaiting trial for burglary.
All three are ex-convicts Miller and
Phillips have been up twice before, and
! ODonnell three times. The latter is al
most certain of going up for life.
The Jail has two wings that branch off
long corridor, the right wing. called the
Grand Jury corridor" being ior prisoners
awaiting trial, the left wing for United
States prisoners and those having been
| sentenced. Before entering the corridor,
from where these wings branch, one has
to pass two grated doors.
The second one is usually kept open so
as to allow the TRUSTEES access to the diff
ferent parts The outer door is. of course,
kept locked, and it is at the head of the
steps leading to the street. To the left
nponsentering is a room which has been
assigned to Mrs. Martin. who is awaiting
another trial for embezzement. This room
has door opening into the inside prison
and the outside hall near the street.
/ 1t was 7:20 o'clock last evening when
Jallor Gilligan, unattended and unarmed,
entered the main corridor carrying a mat
tress. Following custom he locked the
outer door after him, passed to the second
door and turned to the Grand Jury corri-
DOR The door leading to this he unlocked
and then took off the paddock, which he
held in his hands.
AT this moment three men seized the
door and pulled it open. making dash at
him. Gilligan, who is tall and heavily
built, was no match for his assaiIants.
For few seconds he stood his ground
and with the iron paddock rained blows
/ on the heads of the ex-convicts.
Then. as he was being overpowered. he
dashed down the steps into the main cor
ridor. For moment he tried to make
stand at the second door, but his only
weapon. the paddock, had been broken
| from the ring with the force of the blows.
Fearing he would be overpowered. he
threw his keys to trusiy named Gearing,
and the latter, weak and nimbIe man.
darted up flight of stairs.
Relinquishing his hold upon the second
door, Gilligan darted for the first; but he
could not have gained the outside, even II
he had had his keys. lie was locked in.
and the men behind him were bent on
murder.
at this moment two other TRUSTEES
rushed up. One of them, Davenport re-
ceived blow in the face that laid him
low and knocked three teeth down his
throat
Another trusty named Lutte, a burly lit
tie fellow. seized ex-Convct O'Donnen
just as the latter was bringing down
slung shot on the jailer's head. Phillips,
the other assailant was running up with
some weights from some scases. and was
evidently bent upon beating in Gilligan's
head.
Freed for a moment the Jailer darted
into Mrs. Martins room, banged the door
shut and with a poker he found there
made temporary lock on the inside
AS Phillips saw the jaler escape into
the room he darted back into the corridor
ana ran down into the kitchen. where he
secured caseknife.
the jailer and get revenge on the TRUSTEES.
All would have soon been over for Trusty
Lutte, for ono of the men had raised the
knife TO strike and another had the sIung
shot ready when the words 'HaIt or we
fire" rang out. and looking up they saw
the muZzles of two revolvers pushed
through the grating of the front door and
two policemen behind them.
hoir ~
counted for. Jailor Gilligan in his little
place of refuge had pounded on the waste
pipe, attracting the attention overhead
the wife of the assistant jailer. Then he
called to her. and she raising the window
had screamed, Murder. Jail delivery"
Two policemen were at that moment
bringing in a drunken woman. Hearing
the cries they dropped the prisoner and
rushed to the rescue. arriving in the nick
of time.
An alarm was then turned in, more
police arrived and the men were beaten
back. the more desperate ones being put
in dark cells.
Said Fred Lutte. little wiry trusty. who
is serving term for smuggling Chinese
and opium into the country: THAT was
the closest call for my life that ever had
If it had not been for Police Off
Ger LampIng and Special Officer
Dolan getting the drop on that man
Phillips, wouldn't be here to tell it, 1t
happened like this: was standing just
beyond Mr.. Giligan as he was put
ting the key into the lock of
the jury corridor and was not suspect
ing any trouble. when up jumps Jimmy
ODonnell Charles Phillips and Lew
Miller. They grabbed the door, and before
Mr.. Gilligan could stop them pulled it wide
open. Then they jumped out. l saw there
was going to be a fight. for O'Donnell
had a slungshot in his right hand. It was
fastened on at his wrist. The three men
cleared the iron doorway at one step and
came down on Mr.. Gilligan like a
cyclone Mr.. Gilligan only had a