The San Francisco call., 1896-05-08
Jailer Wells Shoots Himself in
an Encounter With the
Pair.
ONE OF THE BANDITS WOUNDED
Accomplices Have Horse and Car.
riage Wa ting for the
FugitiveS.

MADEIRA, CAL, May William Lay.
erone and Jack" Roberts, who were cap
tured last week at a cave near Bates, after
stubborn fight had been made on their
part, and surrendered only after miners
had drilled holes in the ground and were
putting in giant powder with which to
bring down upon them tons of earth and
powders, have escaped from The county
jail.
Ever since these two outlaws have been
confined in the Jail the officers have en-
deavored to use the utmost precaution to
prevent their escape as they were re-
garded as the most reckless ana daring
criminals the Jail has ever sheltered. The
flimsiness of the prison had been proven
by the escaping of Mormon jimmy
Lawson, who at last succeeded in getting
permanent lodgings in the penitentiary
after he had made three successful breaks
for liberty.
Howard Wells, the iailer of the county,
has been locking the prisoners in one cell,
while at nights he slept in the corridor.
Richard Magoon, who is under arrest on a
charge of numbering 'Jack" McGurk, oc-
cupied one of the cells, but the door from
his cell into the corridor of the Jail was
what feeble. During the day the pris-
oners had dug almost entirely through the
partition-wall which separated them from
Magoon, and in the night, as soon as
Wells was asleep, they finished cutting
the hole in the wall and crawled through
into Magoon's cell, where they warned the
old man TO keep quiet or they would kill
him. Roberts then took one of the loose
bricks and went. in to where Wells was
sleeping and struck him over the head
with the brick. The iailer, though
stunned, grappled with Roberts in the
dark and attempted to overpower him.
He bent the outlaw over the bed and,
drawing his revolver. attempted to shoot
him: but it was so dark that he shot him
self through the hand and Roberts in the
arm. The pistol was knocked out of
Wells hand, and, to prevent Roberts from
getting it, he kicked it under the bed,
where it was found this morning.
Laverone then came to the assistance of
Roberts and the combined efforts of the
two succeeded in overpower:n, the iailer,
who was gradually growing weak and
faint from the loss of blood, the wound
in the hand bleeding profusely. When
the prisoners succeeded in getting the
keys from Wells they got his shotgun and
$40 in money and then unlocked the outer
door. Roberts held Wells under the cover
of the shotgun, and in few moments
Laverone drove up in a buggy. Roberts
got in and the two drove off IN the dark
ness.
Mike McCluskey. who lives some dis.
tance from the Jail, had heard the calls
of Wells. but he did not get to the Jail
until after the prisoners had escaped. He
found Wells lying on the floor, where he
had tainted from loss of blood McCIus-
key gave the alarm, and Wells was taken
to hotel and placed in the care of a
doctor. He will be confined TO his bed for
some time.
A posse was soon organized by Sheriff
Westfall, and it has been out all night and
to- day. The posse traced the buggy tracks
north from town, across the Fresno River
on to the plains, where the track was lost.
The officers say that the escapes must
have had accomplices, for they are positive
that they were not in possession of any
tools with which they could have dug
through the walls OF their cells Thisview
is strengthened by the fact of Laverone
procuring horse and buggy so quickly
after he cot out of the jail. The prelim-
mary examination of the bandits on the
charge of robbing NJ. Ashley of $3.50 and
gold watch had been set for to-day.
The officers believe that the prisoners
headed for the foothills, as they know the
ground we'll in the vicinity of Raymond.
Dispatches have been sent in all direc-
tions, out so far this has resulted in noth-
ing.