The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-07-12
A JAIL DELIVERY.
THE PRISONERS IN THE COUNTY JAIL
MAKE A DASH FOR LIBERTY.
DEPUTY SHERIFF THORP
Was Seized From Behind, Bound and Gagged
and All the Prisoners Liberated Though
Only I6 Awaited Themselves Of the
Opportunity and Escapsd-A
Hot Pursuit.

Quite whirl of excitement was
occasioned last evening about 8o'clock
by the startling announcement that
the prisoners in the county Jail had
made bold and successful dash for
liberty. The first dash of news con-
tanned the startling information that
all the 35 or more prisoners, including
Francisco Reyes, the Mexican now
under sentence of death for killing
ex.Sheritf Hornsby several years ago.
A STATESMAN reporter was at the Jail
about half an hour after the prisoners
made their successful dash for liberty
and found the situation not to be so
bad as first reported though it was
bad enough as it was. The Mexican,
Frincisco, was not missing as first
reported, but on the contrary was
still in his cell safe and sound. A
true history of the story as CLEANED
from the officers is about as follows:
About 1880 o'clock last evening
Deputy Sheriff Thorp went into the
Jail to lock the prisoners in their cells
for the night. AS he entered the
outer door he yelled to the prisoners
to go into their calls Tor the night and
those on the lower floor did so and he
proceeded to the combination to lock
them in. While he was standing
there prisoner at the further end of
the Jail called to him and he turned
his head that way.
Immediately two prisoners sneaked
from behind the corner of the cell
where they were hid, and grasped
him. Two more then came from the
front, and before Thorp could say a
word he was in their power. They
quietly informed him that they were
desperate men determined to have
their liberty even if they had to kill to
get it. They further assured him
that they had no desire to kill
him, but il he opened his mouth
or raised single alarm they
would certainly kill him on the spot.
There was nothing left for Thorp to
do but quietly sub nit 70 the situation.
They took him to cell No. 8, bounded
and gagged him and locked him in,
Then they went frOmscel to cell and
liberated all the prisoners. Proceed
ing to the outer door they found it
opened. BY some unfortunate acct
dent the spring lock had not caught
when deputy Thorp push.
ed the wicker to aud there
was no bar between them and lib
ty.
There we're only 16 men, however
VINO took advantage of this and made
their escape, the balance apparently
preferring to abide their chances in
Jail.
Mock Thompson, g man now await
ing transportation to the penitentiary
for 10 years to serve out sentence fol
robbery, did not go, but on the con-
trary, after the other men had skip
ped, went around to cell No and
liberated Thorp.
there is some uncertainty about
how the prisoners got out of the "bul
pen," but it seems from the statement
of the prisoners that the door had
been open all day and those planning
their escape had been tampering witt
the locks at the outer wicker all day
without success Realizing that then
only hope lay in the jailer's arriva
they patiently bided their time anC
acted promptly and successfully, al
above stated.
The men who planned the delivery
or at least to whom all credit is given
were Miller Hammond and Charlel
Gotlff, the two murderers of Captain
Dunn at the Llano mines not Ions
\ since, and who are both awaiting
transportation TO the penitentiary t.
serve life terms.
The following prisoners were sue
cessful in making their escape:
Charles Gotliff, in for murder.
Miller Hammond, in for murder.
Tom Turner, in for perjury.
Joe Woodritch, in for theft.
Pedro Garcia, in for robbery.
Lewis Rucia, in for theft.
An unknown Mexican in for murde
and Wash Hancock, colored, for muir
der also.
Hargrove In for rape.
In addition to the above there wer
several others in for minor offenses
, including five boys who were in Gus
tody for stealing chewing gum.
THE CHASE.
The officers were on the trail of tn
fugitives within an hour. In a shor
time Officer Gibson captured one r
a the escapes in the person of a lunati
/ named Ferdinand Shredder, who wa
making for his home at Drippin
, Springs, but up till o'clock thi
! morning when STATESMAN reporte
! made his last call at Tn
jail no one else had been captured.
The officers were scoring th
q country in every direction, however
. and it is thought that they may b
! successful in capturing some of tn
men at least by noon today.
When the prisoners made thei
escape from jail they took up the ale
, in the rear If the Methodist churc
= and that was the last seen of them.
The blOOdhounds were put on thei