The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1895-05-16
Arrested Saturday Afternoon
and Gained His Liberty the
Same Night-C Concerned
in the Cripple Creek
Troubles and Broke
Jail at Colorado
Springs, Colo.

The population of Philipsburg was
afforded the opportunity last Saturday
night OF experiencing one of those thrill.
ing sights such as we have read about in
the dime novel,
1t was shortly after 10 o'clock when
some fifty or seventy five armed
men, with handkerch1efs tied over thei1
faces, besieged the county Jail and. de-
manded the re- ease of Henry II. Nc
Closkey alias James E. Daily, who had
been arrested at Combination by Under
Sheriff Argall, accompanied by Kinney
Q. Sterling, a deputy sheriff and detec-
tive from El Paso county, Colo They
succeeded in releasing the prisoner and
departed for Combination with him.
The first 1ntlmation that anyone IN
town had of the contemplated rad was
when some one
GAVE JAILER COY TIP
that it was to occur. He Immediately
sent word to Under Sheriff Argall, who
went to the Jail and after hearing the
particulars went out and attempted to
raise posse to stand off the raiders.
He started up north Montgomery street
to where he thought he could obtain
sone guns and had hardly got the length
Of the jail when he almost ran INTO a
crowd of those composing the raiders.
He Immediately turned and walked
rapidly to the corner and down the
street and entered various places and
deputized a number Of citizens as deputy
sheriffs. But as none of them had any
firearms they were of little use in this
particular case.
By this time the crowd of raiders had
SURROUNDED THE JAIL
and had demanded the release of Nc
Closkey. Jaller Coy and Deputy Sheriff
Sterling and j. II. Miller were inside with
all the doors locked. when the demand
was made for the release of the prisoner
the three men conferred and kept the
crowd waiting outside for ten or fifteen
minutes. Finally, Jailer Coy asked the
Colorado man what had better be done
in the matter, as the prisoner was his.
Mr.. Sterling said that the best thing to
be done was to give the man up, as they
we're taken at great disadvantage and
three men could hardly expect to accomp-
llsh much against such great odds.
With this Mr.. Coy went to the cell and
the prisoner to the door un-
locked and opened it and
GAVE M'cLosKEY UP
to the men who had come so far to Sc
cure his release. When they got what
they were after they set up cheer and
started out of town, first firing volley
in the air, though one gun must have
went off prematurely, as it wh1zzed
rather uncomfortably near man stand
ng near Jacky's harness store. The
crowd started down Broadway one man
holding onto each arm of McCloskey. A
picket guard was stationed some distance
n the rear and every one on the street
vas forbidden to approach too close to
he raiders. When they reached the
lat between the electric light works and
he old Catholic church foundation.
ONE horses were in waiting and some of
hem mounted. Afterwards several ex-
'ress wagons went down Broadway and
Is supposed that the men, or part of
hem, rode to mbination.
TIE SCHEME WAS WE'LL PLANNED
nd admirably executed. In addition to
he large force of mon in front of the
all a number were stationed in the alley
0 the rear as we'll as at the side door.
When they were first noticed they came
q squads of eight men each and seemed
o know just where to locate. At the
orner of the alley in the rear of I'm
amps corner there was posse. An
ther contingent was stationed ut the
ire bell. Just how many there were
catered III different parts OF the town
unknown, but those who saw the
everal squads say that there must have
een at least 100 men in all.
WHY M'cLosKEY WAS ARRESTED.
"Hank" McCloskey, as he was generally