Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-07-27
LIBERTY THEN DEATH
A GalloWs.Bird's Flight From
the Spokane Jail.
THE DEPUTY USED A BICYCLE
when Pursued Closely He Jumped Into
the River, and, Being Caught, He
Cut His Own Throat.

Cut His Own Throat.
Spokane, Wash, July 20.-H. d.
Smith, convicted of the murder OF old
John Wyant, cheated the gallows this
afternoon by killing himself, in an in
effectual attempt to gain his liberty.
For an hour this afternoon excitement
reigned supreme at the county jail.
While deputy sheriffs were ont chasing
one fleeing prisoner, wholesale jail
delivery was nearly accomplished.
Smith, who occupied one of the
strong cells outside the main Jail cor
ridor, had just been served with has
meal by Jailer Thompson. The latter,
with the cook, jim Brady, had gone
into the upper tier of cells to feed
twenty or more prisoners there, when a
trusty in the kitchen sang out:
Say, Brady, Smith has got away.
In a moment Thompson and Brady
came flying down the iron stairs, and
saw Smith rapidly making tracks
through the Jail yard. Brady shouted
to Deputy Lon Cisna of Smith S escape,
and kept on close after the fleeing man.
Cisna hurriedly mounted his bicycle
and Joined in the chase. Smith ran
like deer and was gaining on Brady;
but when he saw he was being pursued
on a wheel, turned round and started
for the river, which he reached a short
distance ahead of his pursuers. With
out moments hesitation he leaped
into the rapid current and attempted
to reach the other side; but the water
was running too swift for him, and he
was gradually carried into shore.
man fishing near the bank saw Smith
coming, and hearing the shouts OF the
pursuing officials for him to grab the
swimmer, Waded out a few feet and
grasped the now exhausted Smith by the
collar of his shirt. Smith struggled a
moment, suddenly pulled razor from
underneath his vest, and before the
man holding him could interfere. drew
the razor across his own throat, COM
letely severing the windpipe. Blood
spurted from the wound in a stream.
After staggering a moment, Smith sank
to the ground and expired in few
moments.
In the meantime the prisoners IN the
Jail were not idle. Deputy Thompson,
in his haste, had forgotten to lock the
great iron door leading out from the
upper corridor, which he had opened to
carry food to tn Erisoners When he
started out to chase Smith it left the
Jail without guard. The prisoners
were soon running loose around the
Jail, trying to find an avenue of escape.
Finding none, they took one OF the
ball and chains used for shackles, and
commenced hammering hole III the
wall. They had just succeeded IN
knocking a hole through when Deputy
Sheriff GoOdsell, who had joined the
chase, was notified of what was going
on. Rushing to the Jail, he found
about twenty desperate criminals con-
fronting him. He drew his revolver,
fred over the heads of the desperate
crew and ordered them to get into their
cells at once or he would kill them.
Seeing he meant business and that
many others had surrounded the jail
door, drawn thither by the excitement,
the prisoners concluded to obey and
walked back into their cages While
the deputy stood with his gun pointed
at the open corridor Mr.. Cisna went up
and locked the door upon them.
Smiths escape from the Jail was
made easy by an oversight of the jailer
who had neglected to lock the door
after taking in the food. Alex Hogg,
visitor, was sitting reading paper
near Smith cell at the time He says
all of sudden he looked up and found
Smith was gone, and at the same time
he heard the trusty yell out that he
was just making his escape.
The crime for which Smith was SEN
fenced to hang was the brutal murder
of Farmer John Wyant at Spangle
three years ago. An appeal is now
pending in the supreme court