The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-19


observation-disclosures Matters.
State of Utah, County of Weber-ss:
NJ Wiel, w. Munson and John w.
Peterson, being first and severally duly
sworn, depose and say: That we were
confined in the county jail of Weber
county Utah. on the night of December
18th. 1886, at the time of the escape of
William Edison, NJ a Earlseourt and
NJ Well therefrom; that said persons
were. after the supper hour, safely locked
in the cells and corridor IN said jail by
E. II. Wright, jaiier. and the combination
lock on said cells and corridors and the
bull lock thereon were each locked; that
about the hour OF L O'Clock, midnight.
Doe, whose other or true name Is 10
atlantis unknown, being confined in said
jail, outside Of said cells and corridor,
was instructed by SAID Edison to work the
coordination on the lock TO said cells
and corridor foresaid; and under the in
structions of said Edison, said Jonn Doe
worked said combination, and IN the
box containing the levers (Which said box
is closed and locked ~ said combination
as aforesaid) found certain keys, among
which was one which fitted and unlocked
the bull lock to said cells and corridor
hereinbefore mentioned; that after lind
ing such key as aforesaid, said john Doe
unlocked the cells ana COrriuOT CoNldAH-
ing said William Edison and the other
persons in said cells confined, and that
thereuDon said William Edison and NJ. A.
Earlscourt tore a hole through the lath
and plaster and thereby escaped. And
further atlantis say not;
NJ. WE'LL
w MUNSON,
JOIN W. PETERSON.
Subscribed and sworn 10 before
(Seal) me this 18th day of December
1856. e. W. WADE,
Notary Public.
The above affidavit was secured yes
terday morning by the deputy sherifs
and is in accord with their theory of
the escape of the prisoners. Excite
ment in the affair does not abate at all,
and the feeling against Edison is as
strong as at any time since he fired
the bullets into the breast OF his plead
ing victim. Deputy Sheriff sullivan
who is acting sheriff in the absence
of Sheriff Wright-has devoted con-
siderable time TO finding out how the
escape was made, and has finally con-
nected ell the links in the chain of
facts constituting his theory. The
affidavit given above is the final con-
MEETING link. The prisoners, it seems.
were anxious to clear Jailer Wright OF
any suspicion of carelessness and so
made the affidavit. In regard to it, it
must be stated that We'll, an hour or so
after making it, denied all of it except
the part that related TO Wright locking
the door, To that part he still adheres,
but stated most emphatically to Her
aid reporter in the presence of Jaller
Wright ana a number of others that
ne did not know who unlocked the door,
or whether any of them had the COM
bination before hand or not Sullivan,
Wade and a number of others who
were present when the affidavit was
made say that Well read the document
over aloud himself and Commissioner
Wade read it once or twice aloud
We'll refused to sign it until his name
was removed from connection with the
ones who broke through the ceiling.
Peterson, too, has told conflicting
stories so many times as to weaken
the force of his sworn statement.
The man whom the prisoner referred
to as John Doe is the one who, on
Wednesday. gave his name as Thomas
Johnson to The Herald reporter. He
was supposed to be a cripple and was
allowed in the corridor for that reason,
bat the officers now say he was not
cripple at all. but used crutches to aid
him in plying his vocation as a mendi-
cant. FIe was put in under suspicion of
having been concerned in the wholesale
sneak thieveries that were in progress
the afternoon before. One of the other
men arrested by Deputy Sullivan that
evening had a pair of felt boots, one No.
and the other No. (which he said
just 1T him and which A. w. Putnam
has identified as some stolen from mis-
place. Sullivan had seen the cripple
communicating with this man and so
run him in on suspicion The man him
self viii say nothing except that he
was asleep until he heard the racket.
OF the three who signed the affidavit
Well is the one who. in company with
another man named Smith, were work
ing a changed contract scheme. Peter
sCn is the boy put in on the charge of
setting fire 10 the Industrial school
where he was an inmate He acknow-
lodged the crime several times but later
pleaded not guilty. Munson is in for
alleged horse stealing. We'll said en-
phaticaHy that he was not arrested by
a policeman but by Deputy Sheriff
Chambers.
We'll stated to The Herald man that
Earlscourt shaved him late that night
as the result of a chance remark made
by Wei that he could not shave him
self
But whatever be the correct theory
of escape, the fact remains that Edison
and Earlscourt are still al large. and
this is what chiefly concerns Ogden
people.
Sheriff Wright has not gone after
Rice. but is away on other business.
He is not expected back for a week or
two.