The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-06-13
BROKE J ALL.
Five Men make desperate da sh
tor 'iberty. but are soon re-
captured and put In chains.

captured ana put IN CnalnS.
Last Friday about 5 o'clock th'
whole town was alarmed by the cry
! that all the prisoners in the county
Jail were out. A TINES reportel
"hustled" down to learn the particu
lars Of the business and there found
that only FIVE of the men had escaped.
1t seems that the prisoners had by
main strength broken off bar of the
cage, which had become rusty, and
probably with the help of those out,
side the cage, broke the chain which
holds the rod in place which locks the
door and then easily pulled it out and
was free from the cage. Now to get
OUT of the outer door was the next
question and calling on Jailer Pruner
for bucket of water, they waited
until he opened the door and five
of the most desperate rushed out over
him, down the stairs and were gone.
The colored boy John Walker, who is
very de ,perate man and who is SEN
fenced to the pen for life for murder
lead the way followed by 7. J. Shoe
maker, the man who burned Ander-
sons barn and attempted to murder
Anderson; John Rodgers, who has
been convicted and sentenced to ten
years for burning the residence of Mr..
Farmer near Rockford; Pete Harper
who tried his hand at robbing the
EMaryville bank and has been SEN
fenced to three years; and Henry
Shuler, who is serving work house
sentence for two or three pistol cases
and has trial pending for the alb
duction of girl. The prisoners had
not yet gotten out Of sight before there
were scores of men with guns out
after them and it was not over an
hour before they ereait landed safes
ly back in Jail, with chains on Walk
er, Rodgers and Harper. First Har-
er and Shoemaker were captured by
Harry Henry. They were turned
over to Chas. Parham who, with a
rife behind them, marched them back
10 the Jail. Then Shuler came back
through the large crowd standing
round the Jail unrecognized by any
body unit! he spoke and said, NTve
come back home," and walked up in
to the Jail alone. Then came Walker
and Rodgers escorted by a large
crowd. These two men had got
farther than any ofthe rest, when
they were captured near Mrs. Aliens
by John Kirk who had to shoot at
both of them before they surrendered.
Walker says he wasn't shot, and ex-
plains his limping by saying that his
ankle was sprained, but Rodgers was
shot in the right hand and arm. If
the shot had been little larger, their
wounds might have been more serious.
When the sheriff went in to put the
chains on Walker he "Cussed" a great
deal and said he would have them off
before morning A small but heavy
black rock was found on his person
when he was serched by the officer.
There were twenty-five men and one
woman confined in the Jail. Ten OF
these were out on the road pecking
rock when the attempt to escape was
made. The others did not offer to
run. Some of them being there mere
ly awaiting their trial. We under
stand that if the spring pad lock had
been in the lower end of the bar which
locks the cell the door could not have
been opened even with the chain broke
This should always be kept in when
men are in there, who have been con,
victed of the grave crimes Of murder,
and arson. We do not mean to find
fault, but merely suggest that every
precaution should be taken in such
matters. No one would think that
any man could get out of the cell
without the lock being in place to
look at the large chain they had to
break.