The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-29
WAS NO OUTSIDE HELP
Convict Woodruff and Murderer
Bill West CoOIly Sawed Out.
Woodruff Tells All About How
1T was Done
Yesterdays Story About the Escape
Appears to Have Been Purely
manufactured for Inter
ested Parties.


Tuesday morning for parts unknown
1T is likely that the desperate VIII not
be taken just at present, as there is but
one clue to his direction. and no one is
on his track.
Sherim kepley with his brother Eph,
Frank Leech, Bert Lucas al Kuyken-
DAN. Otis Hungate and Frank Whita-
ker. armed with Winchesters, met the
trains last night. and secuted about the
yards. Under Sheriff Lucas and a
party searched the house of an East
Fourth street woman who has been
visiting George woodruff, but did not
find West there. 1t is Sheriff Kepley's
mistaken opinion that West is right
here in Topeka, although a clue has
been obtained which makes most people
think differently.
A horse was stolen Monday night
from the stable of William Bradbury
three miles south Of town on the To
peza avenue road. West told prisoners
that he would steal a horse after he
got out. He did this when he escaped
from Fort Scott. Later developments
show that West escaped ait 2 o'clock
tuesday morning. 1T Is reasonable to
suppose that West stole the horse, as
Bradbury is positive that the bay mare
would not have wandered away alone.
Marshal Nelly has telegraphed all the
sherins in the southern and southwest
part Of the state in which direction
the murderer was headed
Later developments seem to show
that Bill West escaped from the Shaw
nee Jail without the aid of confederates
on the outside.
George Woodruff. the United States
prisoner under sentence to ten years
to the penitentiary. has told Marshal
NaaIV thar the lock Of the oaua door
was picked with a small wire from the
wire cots Of the prisoners. That the
bar to the window was sawed out by
the prisoners with two saws which they
had concealed in their cells.
"a Journal reporter today visited the
Jail with the intention Of proving or
dtsproving the correctness of Wood
rufus assertions.
Sherim Kepley kindly locked the re-
porter inside the cage with the prison
ers- Provided with a lcinky and rusty
baling wire and standing on bench
which the prisoners have to sit upon
q hand was thrust through the graf
ing of the cage door. With the wire
bent into a hook at one end it was i'm
serted into a little hole above the bolt
which goes inside the locked box In
side the box this bolt is supposed to be ]
fastened by q paddock. but only the
staple of the lock is ever put through
the hole in the bolt
With the bent wire it is possible
to nook upon one side or end Of this
staple, draw this end up, and let the
staple fall out of the hole in the bolt
The reporter was actually unable to
get this staple out in a trial of ten min
utes, but Bill West had to practice
three Of four nights before he could DO
it.
The bolt may then be pushed back
with broomstick and the cage door is
open.
Besides this bolt there is a bar six
inches from the floor which can be
showed out from the side and locked
by paddock, which would prevent the
doors being opened if they were locked. J
1T has never been locked since the pres
ent force took charge
George woodruff was asked some
questions in his cell. where he is kept
locked
when was work begun on this sta
pie " was asked.
About 1880 Monday night he re-
piled THE Jail was locked up at g.
IL took an hour to get the staple out
and the door OPEN
Who worked on the lock with the
wire '
well. I don't care to saw We had
been working on 1t three or four nights.
but never got it open before. Sunday
night the paddock was locked, and we
could do nothing Every other night
Tor three or four nights trials had been
made, but without success
IL was nearly twelve, then, when we
got around TO the window. 1t was
nearly o'clock before we got one bar
sawed out Then West got out re
took Off all except his indebtedness
put his feet out first. while we held his
hands and shoulders, and squeezed
through Then we threw his clothes
down to him
took off every stitch of clothes I
had on, but couldn't get through. Pea
body could have got out. but he didn't |
want to. Then we began saving on the Z
other bar, and broke both saws
N hlch way did West go2''
III didn't look out the window
was it very dark r
oh, no. it was quite light outside"
People say it was light Monday at 2 !
q. IA
Did you make much noise7'
"a ell we made good deal We were /
working as fast as we could. OF course /
we walked as kuietly as we could. The
saw made q sort of humminE or bl1z-
zing noise. The reason it took So Ions /
was because it is hard to get at the I
bars
when our second saw broke we saw
Lne rest Of US were doomed We stuck 4
the par back in place with soap. and /
nleo the cut in the other bar with /
soap, 5hoplng the place would not he +
discovered. Then We I'm 80 - -
our cells, and not five minutes AFTER /
ward sheriff kepley passed along the /
poIen on his way to wake the taller"
outside2" -i-7
NO, there was not"
west did not climb ba0lr IN sr+
he had got out out2"
II should say not"
eHe climbed down over eh. --,-+s-
in his stocking feet2''
YES, sir"
Then how DO you account for the
mud on the grating to the vrin7044- ~
the lower corridor % "a
can't account for it unless some
one climbed up in the morning
ahsIlI kepleg--That mud was there
tA~ nrst thing fin the morning