The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-11-12
A JAIL LOCK BURST.
A Brace of Robbers Get Out of
Jail.
JACK WCLURG AND EVERETT WRIGHT

slip Out of the County Jail at hid
ni<ht-DiseOvery Of Their Escape
1Ende At O'Clock This Morning.
Two robbers, OF one convicted robber
and one accused burglar, broke jail at
the county Jail last night. It happened
about II o'clock in the night, but their
escape was not found out until o'clock
this morning.
The two men who are gone are JACK
NcCIurg, recently sentenced to three
years in the penitentiarT, and Everett
Wright, colored. whose trial for burglar
fzin9 the home of Mrs Sarah L. Sher-
wood, 1141 Lincoln street, was to have
come up in a few days in the district court.
Their escape was due to their being
given an easy" cell on the upper floor
Of the Jail. This cell has been occupied
by Murderer Clyde Mattox and Forger
Ralph Turner.
Four or five days ago McClurg com
planned of being sick and asked to be put
In one of the two upper cells. Everett
Wright was also anxious to be confined
there. 1t is in the northeast corner of
the Jail on the second floor and is con
sidered the most healthful of any in the
Jail No corridor surrounds the two
cells and when the two men got the door
of their cell open their way to liberty
was easy.
The door to the cell is poor one in
deed. They probably used piece of
their old iron bed as a lever The jailer
had removed bar which had come loose
from the bed only few days ago.
at 9:20 last night Jailer Burdge made
his final round. He visited this cell and
everything was secure. The air was foul
aud he left the wooden door leading
down the stairway open and raised the
window at the head of the stairs. At IL
o'clock he was awakened by some one 60
ing down the stairs into the basement
aud engine room, but his deputy, Tom
Owens, had been out in the evening, and
he thought that it was Tom returning.
At 3 he again awoke and went down into
the basement to see to the fire. The out
side iron door was open. He made
hurried investigation and found McClurg
and Wright gone.
The two men came down the winding
stairs from the second story to the base
ment and out into the Jail yard There
they placed 4 board against the high
fence and clambered over it and the
barbed wire on the top
McClurg was seen after his escape.
He went to the livery stable of Pritchard
6 Knisely on Quincy street just before
midnight Frank Campbell, a young
man, was sleeping in the Office. Nc
Clurg stuck his head in the door and
said "Doc want to borrow a quarter"
When he saw that it was Campbell in
stead of Dr.. Knisely, he came in, but did
not ask him for any money. He had on
only his trousers. shirt, shoes and hat,
without coat. Campbell did not get
up and did not see which way he went
or where he came from.
didn't you know that NIcCIurg was
In the county jailF" was asked Campbell
this morning.
81 didn't known whether he was thera
or in the penitentiary," he replied.
Jack and l used to work together at
McCurdy's, and I've been around too
much to act the spotter and give him
away"
McClurg was convicted at the present
term of the district court of having
robbed john n. Yeaman's, a CArbondaIe
old soldier, while they were out for a
''time" in John McBee's hack. He was
employed at DR.. U. B McCurdy's livery
barn at the time He is a rather tall
slim fellow, with a sandy moustache.
Wright is short yellow complexioned
negro.
Jailer Burdge explained everything
connected with the escape, though it was
plain that he felt the humiliation keenly.
There should be an extra man at the
jail whose duty it should be to stay up
all night and make regular rounds of the
cells