The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-19
A SINGULAR JAIL DELIVERY.
A Prisoner Escapes and Leaves Locked
Door. Behind Him.

This morning aqout I o'clock. when
Jailer Will Hawkins made his customary
morning call on his involuntary guests;
he discovered to his great surprise that
one of them-and he only had two
had taken French leave sometime dur
ing the night. but without leaving any
evidence Of broken bars or forced locks
behind him. In fact the iailer found
everything as he had left it the night
before except that the cell in the cage
that should have contained James Doe
was filled with atmosphere only and the
elusive James was as effectually non est
as if he had never been. A careful ex-
animation Of the locks and bolts failed
to show any evidence of their having
been forced in any way. and the only
conclusion to be reached is that they
were opened by the regular or duplicate
keys. There are two locks between the
cage prisoners and liberty; one at the
iron door that gives entrance from the
hall into the cage room and one on the
cage. Each of these lie formidable
enough to repel any but expert operators.
| There are two sets Of keys for these
locks, one Of which is kept locked in the
sheriff's safe, and the other ir the pos.
session OF the iailor, and these were in
his pocket last night when he went TO
bed, and he found them there this
morning; the keys kept in the safe were
, also fonnd undisturbed. From the midi
cations, Sheriff Hawkins is disposed to
believe that the delivery was effected by
two men from the outside. who found
way, either with duplicate keys or ex.
pert lock-picking, to get in and rescue
the prisoner Doe who it is believed, be-
longed to a gang of burglars, who felt
sufficient interest in him to help him
out. The only other prisoner in the
cageroom gives a very cloudy statement
concerning the escape OF Doe. He says
that some time near morning he was
awakened by conversation and looked
around sufficiently to see Doe and two
men, one Of whom said, "You are out Of
bondage now," which he says conveyed
to his mind the impression that Doe had
been released on bonds, and thinking it
a regular proceeding he turned over and
resumed his slumber. The delivery was
effected so quietly that Jailor Will
Hawkins and r. o. Bean. who were
sleeping in the sheriff's Office and the
adjoining room, were not disturbed at
all
The escaped prisoner is registered as
James Doe, and was under arrest for
burglary committed at the Ranchman'e
hotel about month ago. At his pre-
liminary examination he was held under
bonds Of $500 to await the action Of the
district court. and would have come to
trial this term. That he very much
feared that the outcome is evidenced
by the letters that he wrote, which
when read by the sheriff, as 10 usually
were found to express a most earnest de.
sire for his friends to help him out, and,
In the event Of failure to do so. the al
ternative Of his going to the devil" was
plainly sdverted to.
Sheriff Jack Hawkins and number
Of deputies are in the saddle to-day,
making every effort to recapture the
missing Doe. and as will be seen by a
publication elsewhere in this issue, Sher-
i'll Hawkins personally offers a reward
OF 800 for his apprehension.