Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-20
BOLD BREAK FOR LIBERTY
BY White Prisoners at the
County Jail
1HWARTED BY WARDEN DAILY
Bit of PaSteboard Proves the Key to a Daring
Conspiracy
FREEMAN LEWIS tyHE RING LEADER
Sheriff o 'Briep' : oolness Wins Over Des-
perate De- c>ination-state Herald
Re ef on Hand attho
.;Grand Finale.

Whas ..ymised to be the most sensa-
tionals = serious jail delivery ever re-
corded in the history OF Alabama was
nipped in the ruck of time by Sheriff
OBrien and Warden DAILY on Friday aft
ernoon.
That it would have been serious can
be readily seen when 1t is known that
had the plot been successfully carried
out fully 100 white men, among them a
convicted murderer, Colin Daughdrill,
and others convicted of lesser crimes, in
Guiding Freeman Lewis, who is beyond
question the "slickest' citizen who was
ever sent up from jefferson county,
would have become free men.
And that it would have been serious
cannot be doubted as not only would it
have been fearful blow to Sheriff
Frank p. OBrien and his faithful taller,
Mr.. Syl DAILY, but it would have been
the turning loose of men who, having al
ready tasted of the law, had grown des-
perate and would undoubtedly have re-
sorted to murder, as will be seen, to carry
out their plans.
The Jail delivery was originated in the
fertile brain of Freeman Lewis, who this
week was convicted in two cases of grand
larceny and who well knew what to ex-
pect when the day for pronouncing his
sentence came. 1t had been in operation
since July and tonight had been set for
the carrying of 1T to a successful conclu-
sion.
The Discovery of the Plot.
On the 9th of this month Warden DAY.
noticing suspicious movements among
the white prisoners, and especially Free
man Lewis, conceived the idea that some-
thing was going on within the four walls
of the stone jail which boded no good to-
Sheriff O'Brien and possibly himself or
Night Warden Mclaughlin. The feeling
grew upon him that all was not right
and he went to Sheriff O'Brien and made
known to him his suspicious. The two
canvassed the matter and agreed to
keep mum over 1t and in the mean
time to seek for further developments.
Certain parties who were suspected were
watched with eagle eyes and Ii was hut
a short s-iie until 1t was ascert-ined that
implements were in the possession of the
prisoners, with which they were quietly,
but earnestly, working their way to the
outside world and freedom.
The First Find.
The first device discovered was a piece
of pasteboard cut in exact imitation of
the key to one of the main Yale locks of
the Jail. This was found in the vest pock-
ct of trusty, where it had been placed
by one of the plotters to cast suspicion
upon him in case of detection. This find
was not even made known to the owner OF
the vest.
Working in Broad Daylight.
Sheriff O'Brien and Warden Daily were
satisfied the plotters were doing their
work in the daytime, and had grounds
for reaching this conclusion 1t was no.
ticed that a large number of prisoners
would gather near the front door of the
cell room and Freeman Lewis invariably
occupied a seat at the top of the iron
stairway leading to the cells occupied by
himself and others equally as desperate.
1t was also noticed that whenever the
sheriff or one of the wardens came to the
door and unlocked it Lewis would in
stantly arise and go around into the cor
rdor leading to the cells The work was
gathering tut5etrief or rrle ia tiiv
front end of the structure was but blind
to allay suspicion while the others were
using saws and files with nerve born OF
desperation.
Seen in the Act.
AT $3.50 o'clock Thursday morning Sher-
jff O'Brien and Warden DAILY went around
in the jail yard to take some measure
ments and examine place which the
former desired to have strengthened Tbe
changes were necessary hence the desire
to have them made at once.
On looking up Warden Daily discovered
one of the prisoners diligently using
saw on one of the bars of window. AS
soon as this was detected the two moved
away in order to prevent his seeing them.
It was evident that the time was draw.
ing near, and as 1t happened Sherin
OBrien and Warden DAILY were infoImed
that the time was set for Sunday night.
The Plan OF the Exodus
It was also learned that. Freeman
Lewis and one other were to get out OF
tbe window on to the scaffold then down
into the yard AS a bulldog is turned
loose in the yard every evening, poison
had been procured with which to get MIN
out of the way. When this was done the
men could get around TO the sioe en-
trance to the warden's office, and 1t vas
determined to kill the night warden, pro-
cure the keys and then unlock all the
doors in the white department The
leader in the exodus was to be Colin
Daughdrill, now under sentence of death
for the killing OF drummer in Gadsden.
Once gaining the outside, the men were
TO scatter and leave as fast as possible.
Too Dangerous for Delay.
1t was first decided by the sheriff and
warden to wait until Sunday morning
and then make a raid on the cells, secure
the men and make search for Tools and
weapons, but later Sheriff O'Brien de-
cided to put his intentions into efect on
Friday. ,,, -
prisoners that he was expecting visit
TO the jail by the grand jurors and want
ed them to present neat appearance.
This proved happy forethousht. Hav-
ing gotten his deputies together In the
front part Of the jail. Sheriff O'Bren,
Chief Deputy Warnock and Warden Daily
entered the Jail and ordered the steve
dores to call the men out of their cells, as
the grand Jurors were coming. The ruse
worked like a charm.
The Desired Articles Found.
The men Immediately came down stairs
with the exception of Freeman Lewis
and TWO others, who were at work on
the bars. AS soon as the prisoners had
come down stairs the sheriff ordered the
door opened, and the deputies. headed
by Andrew Burgin stepped inside and
cSrrslle6 them. while Messrs. OBrlen,
B1rsin and Daiy went up stairs. War
Continued ON Third Page)