Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-25

4 EARS GONE BY--sEvEN ALLEG-
ID MuRDpRERs IN THE LIST.
\ fhere are few people who do not md
prisons and prisoners something OF
4 common interest. and the story OF
\ IN who through crime or misfortune
|l4~ placed In dungeons or iron-bound
Us away from society and the world
] most Invariably proves a subject Tor
idy, speculation or entertainment to
lDbse who pause 20 read. And when
Ns has studied In history the count
s horrors of the French Bastile or
j.lowed In romance with Hugo and
r.Rle Gavroche, the fortunes OF that
+ howned quarter in the Pfris con-
lIrgcrio or read the story OF Dantes
1ihfined In tho historic Chateau d'If. he
n find either In fact or fancy some
Hing of romance In the story Of many
culprit lodged behind prison bars.
'tBut fortunately the days OF religious
,Nd political persecution are passed,
d no martyrs nowadays languish In
z Z prisons OF civilized lands, especially
the Jail OF Tarrant county. There
he no frowning battlements here like
ore OF the French prison on the clins
the Mediterranean, nor dark dun
fions whore unfOrtunates are incnrcer-
ed 10 drng out n living death. But
Arrant county's jail Is a good one for
- that, ind he must be strong and
INNING indeed TO elude the vigilance
the ever alert prison officials and
I feet an exit from the jail. when once
y has been SO careless or Indifferent
\ his fate as to lind himself landed
ehind its iron doors and atrong steel
hrs. and yet prisoners have been
lnwn to escape from this splendid
In,
,rurting q place TO efectually Inn
bison his fellow men.
Zone notihlr example OF daring escape
.fcurred over three years ago IN Deem
Ter 1891. That was in the time before
he term Of office Of the present Jail
Istodlans began. At that time three
Zen, Morris, Begin and another whose
Fame has now been forgotten. made
sieir escape. Morris was at tho time
ibndemned to hang for murder. Begin.
ltntenccd to life imprisonment for
imilar crime. and the other was under
sentence of number OF years In the
lenitcntlary. one dark December night
hey avoided helng locked In the inner
laBes that II had been tho jnilor's GUS
inln TO place them. with a hln which
hey had procured In some mysterious
5ay known only to prisoners. they fllcd
way one Of the heavy iron bars across
he northwest window of the iall on
he third story, and through the amer
ure thus made they let themselves
iown with a rope improvlsed from
'ieees OF bed clothing to the ground
md liberty. They escaped 10 the tlm-
YER along the Trinity They succeeded
y eluding the pursuers who got on
helr trail when their escape was dis
overed, and were never seen after
wards, A short time ago, however. the
,resent jallor received letter from n
United States officer In the Indian Ter
TORY who thought that he had located
ne Of the men. hut nothing ever came
4 the ruppused discovery.
At present there are about seventy
we prisoners IN the Tarrant county
nil. The number varies usually from
evenly 10 eighty. though Il may some
lines sink below the first or rise above
he latter Those now confined there
re held for many crimes known 10 the
aw, from the highest to the lowest.
rom murder to Vagr1ncy. Those under
ne Former charge are seven in number
rhoy ere; Peter Sargent, under n TWEEN
y-year sentence for the murder OF Pat
FOLEY; Martin McGrath. under a nine
ear sentence for the murder nf James
tushing; Horace Fisher. recently in
arcerated for tho killing OF Tom Brad
NJ.
Silled john Lea, another negro. last
all, and Jim r0ots. colored, who has
become somewhHt famous In the annnla
y crime and the record Of the courts
through killing Policeman Waller three
,ears ago. Sam Hamblln and l.. q
Eastwood are also confined there for
.afekeeping. having been convicted In
lhylor county OF murder committed
It Merkel.
All of these men are resting upon
iPpeaiS 70 the criminal court OF np-
leals At Dallas. ToOts mas been 4, j1,i
or three years, and bears the dIstinc-
ION OF having been an inmate longer
nan any other prisoner He Is under
'entence of death for his crime. ana
ne court OF appeals has had hli cuse
,elore II for long time without rem
iering n decision.
Three train robbers OF some renovvn
ire also confined In the iail. These nre
pnilllns. Ward and sullivan, who arc
,nnrseu win the BenhrOok train rob
one or inc most daring and sem
.atipnhi tnnt ever occurred In Tnrrant
county. Ward has been tried mis-
irial resulting, Phillips has becn con-
fieted and given q five-years sentence
lnd Sulllvan's case Is set for trial of
me next term OF tile criminal CONT in
he Forty-eighth district.
Another celebrity In tho realm, ~
rhine who Is now an Inmate az tie
All ~ the woman Lola HInduan INV
me prisoners are not all OF the gterns,.
sex. Lola IL under a three-year sen.
Lsnce to the penitentlary FOR robbery
5he sprang Into especial prominence an
account OF her connection with the FAM
nus HAPPY case. Only few days ago
she huue1 another page 10 her sensa =
liohal record by attempting TO bury
ler sorrows In bottle OF morphine.
mere hre I'VE other female Inmates.
three OF them being confined for Inn
acy.
The other inmates OF this secure I'M,
rather undesirable place OF abode bnvc
20 Tar luckily escaped a bnd emlnence
IN criminal records. They ARE MANY nnJ
tiof' "nt orc or ur-a ~ ,ttl,,rs+ ~
fltr tnvh names on the IAN register
some Of them are old jail birds. having
Seen the inside OF prisons all tho wnv
from Maine TO California. W.
some or them are there no do,,h,
through veritable misfortune md q
conjunction Of relentless circumsfanco,
ana others there have perhaps commit
ted crime through no necessltv ana
with no excuse, driven on by Inmate
,Siekedness and controlled by the bnne.
M influence OF what has been called
the mp OF the preverse.
Vceasionally some especially con-
spisuons example OF human wlckednees
sncil as the renowned Bill Cook 1nds
s s., Tor time under the roof of
.,ei,i laii ana then passes on 10
such distinguished personnsos , ,,,,
lndCment thara tho $50 "tte