The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-30
GENERAL JAIL DELIVERY.

GENERAL JAIL DELIVERY.
Successful Dash for FreedOm-Ninc
Prisoners Escape-One Returns and
Tells the Story-Venner Ray the
Protector Of the PloI.
Greenville News, Oct. ~.
The Greenvllle jail was the centre OF al
traction on Sunday morning. Rumors flew
thick and fast about town that there had
been general jail delivery, that all the prls-
oners had escaped, that the jailer had been
killed. Everything that wild Imagination
could devise or invent was sent at1oat. The
iail was delivered, nine Negro prisoners max
ing their escape. The story is interesting
some OF the wonderful tales told in dime
novels or like the breezy escapes narrated In
the journals Of the far west.
To understand the situation and conditions
description Of the Inside OF the jail is neces-
sary. All negro prisoners are confined IN the
second story. There are two doors TO the hail
entrance OF the Negro cells. The outer door
Is solid iron, the inner made OF close f1ttlng
heavy iron bars. Each of these doors has
seperate locks and ut night both doors are
securely lock- ed. The hall into which these
doors open is about six feet wide. On each
side OF this hall are the cells with heavy oar
iron doors. The cell doors are opened and
closed from outside the main entrance doors
by means of q crank attached 10 heavy
steel screw. This screw passes through The
stone wall into the hall inside, where IL Is eX-
posed. Turning the crank on the outside re.
wolves the screw on the inside, TO which is
attached levers which close or open the cell
doors. AS the turning OF the ew.bar opens
or closes the cell doors it will be understood
that this innocent piece of machinery Is real
ly the key TO the situation-the key which
locks or unlocks the cells. With the Two en-
trance doors to the hall locked, prisoners are
sale. The getting into the hall Is not free
dom, only u little more liberty than cell con.
dement,. Prisoners are permitted TO stay In
the hail during the day. ali the cell doors be-
ing open after certain hour In the morning.
II Is the rule that when the entrance doors 70
The hall are 70 be opened for any purpose all
prisoners are ordered into the cells, few
turns OF the crank Ou the outside and the cell
doors are closed and can only be opened by
reversing the crank which turns the screw
bar.
On Saturday night at $50 o'clock Homer
story, the jailer went up 10 the floor where
their cells for the night. There was no light
IN that part of the prison and he could Only
take IL Tor granted that all had retired as us
ual TO their cells. About midway and In The
centre OF the hall, is O large coal stove.
Everything being perfectly quiet, Mr. Story
turned the cranks which closed the cell doors
IN each side OF the hall, then he carefully
locked the two entrance doors and went
down stairs
On Sunday morning at o'clock Mr.. Story
went up stairs taking coal for the negroes To
make their fire. He put his load OF coal
down and unlocked the heavy iron door. Be-
fore opening the bar-door, be made careiu'
examination to see that no prisoners were IN
the hall. Everything appeared to be all right
and he unlocked the bar-doOr and pushed IL
open. AS be stopped to put the coal down IN.
side the hall he was seized by two men and
held firmly. He recognized the men holding
him. They were John Cuffy and Henry Will
liams. The men who had him did not make
any attempt 10 Ipjure him, only held him tight
and fast while seven other prisoners went
down the steps rapidly. When the seventh
man cleared the door Cuffy. and Williams
threw Story back into the hall, closed the
door behind them and rushed down the stairs.
Story was evidently daZed by the wnoie
transaction. When he pulled himself togeth.
er he rushed of TO the residence OF Snerlf
Gilreath and notified him OF the escape OF The
prisoners. Sheriff Gilreath at once called
into service Chief Kennedy with his blood
Mound "Slash," and also got the dogs OF Mr.
Russell, VINO has charge OF some conV Vlcts,
and with posse started in pursuit OF the flee
ing negroes. The dogs tracked them for six
miles but the heavy wind blew the dust Into
the roads and The scent was lost. The snerlH
and his party beat the woods In every dIrec,
tiop but could find no signs OF the escaped
prisoners and late that afternoon returned TO
the city.
Jailer had hurried out of the jail he could
at least aroused citizens who would have TAX
en- the trail and kept the negroes In sight.
The following are the prisoners who escap-
ed {:
Jim Lewis, Henry Swansey, larceny Hen.
ry Williams, murder; John Guilty, larceny,
fom Gray, arson; Venner Ray, murder; a;
John Anderson, assault and battery with at
tempt 10 kill; Manuel Cork and Tom Cnund-
ler assault and battery.
Yesterday morning about o'clock the
door bell OF the residence OF Sherif Gllreath.
announced visitor. The visitor proved to
be Tom Chandler. one of the escaped prison
srs. Tom is a good natured, rather intelli-
gent negro and without any special insistance
Iold the story OF the plot and it's complete
success. His story is about this:
Venner Ray, Henry Williams and John
Guilty WORK ed up plan to kill The jailer and
thus open the way Of escape. Ray Is sharp.
keen scoundrel. He studied The working OF
the screw bar and concluded that q strong
man could turn the screw with his hands anu
open the cell doors. With the cell doors open
and the prisoners In the hall II would be easy
TO overpower the jailer, who Is not muscu-
would be seen in the hall and they must be
out of sight as the jailer always made care
tul examination of the hall before unlocking
the doors of the hall. Next to the ball door
the room and when the jailer brought up the
coal which was the first thing done in the
morning. they could jump on him and XIII
nim. When the plot was laid before the prls
and said he was not in it. He insisted that
the jailer had done them no harm and that he
would not come out of his cell If any harm
was To be done Story. 1t was agreed that no
harm should be done the jaier and the plot
was fixed and ready for execution. On Sat
urday night when the jatler ordered the prls-
oners TO the cell, Jim Lewis remained In the
hall and hid behind the stove. The cranks
turned, the cell doors slid into place, and Jim
Lewis was left In the hall. he laid quietly
on the floor until the prisoners on the oppo-
site side Of the hall were asleep and then ne
went TO the screw-bar and with naked hands
nre0nprE
cells were ready and as he tugged at the bar
they pulled at the doors. Inch by inch the
doors moved back until there was sufficient
space to permit the exit OF the men from the
cells by squeezing. When all were out In the
hail they tried the plan of concealment in the
bath loom and found IL just the thing. John
Cuffy and Henry Williams we're selected TO
overcome the jailer. The plot was carried out
just as Ray had planned and the prisoners
got away.
Tom Chandler said he didn't want to es-
cape. When the thing was worked up he
thought be would 60 and see his family and
spend Sunday with them. He lives two or
three miles from the city. When News re-
porter visited the jail yesterday, Tom was en-
gagged in cutting the hair of fellow prisoner
which impressed those who heard him that
be was telling the truth.
A rumor was current yesterday that trus-
ty had opened the jail door. There are no
TRUSTEES at the Jail, all the locking and un-
locking being done by the jaileI.
Last night informatian was received that
strange negro was prowlipg around the Reedy
River neighborhood. The sheriff sent Dep
uty Ballinger and some others down to look