Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-05-07
To Free Bill Taylor.
CIPHER LETTERS THAT PASSED
BETWEEN THE CONDEMNED
PRISONER AND HIS WIFE.
Twelve Men Were to Take Taylor
From the jail at Kansas City
George Was Once Located.

now no doubt that the precautions
taken by the Kansas City and Carroll
county officers to prevent William
Taylor's rescue by his friends were
justified. The Kansas City officers to-
day disclosed the letters which had
passed between William Taylor and
his wife, which were written in cipher.
The envelopes were steamed and
opened by the officers when they
passed through their hands, and in
this way they were enabled to prevent
the attempt.
The day after Bill was removed to
the Jackson county Jail a letter from
his wife was found in his cell in the
Carrollton Jail. Bill had failed to de-
stroy it, as was his custom with all
letters, and left it behind in his old
clothes. Parts of the letter were
written in cipher of hieroglyphics. The
word "Sherif" was first deciphered,
and from that the rest of the code.
After Taylor was removed to Kansas
City he sent the following letter to his
wife:
GAN sorts of rumors about George.
He was at Uncle DIS, but he is not
there now. He only stayed there a
short time, but will be in the neigh
borhood. Albert will know and keep
you posted"
This information was communicate
ed to Sheriff Stanley at Carrollton by
wire. 1t was known that the "Uncle
D." referred to d. MINIS, who lives
nine miles north of Carrollton. Sheriff
Stanley went to Minis place and
watched the house all Tuesday night.
George Taylor was thought to be in
the house, and would likely have
been captured but for a bit of indis-
erection on the part of n of the
Sheriff's deputies. This deputy went
to a negro tenant on the MINIS farm
and told him that a cipher letter had
been found and that George Taylor
must be surrendered. This indiscr:-
ton was charged to Deputy George
w. Cummings. The negro is thought
to have gone to the MINIS house, or
to George Taylor's hiding place, and
appraised the fugitive of the Sheriff's
movements. A short time afterwards
the report of a gun was heard in the
woods. 1t is believed to have been
the signal for George Taylor's depart
ure. The MINIS house was searched
and the woods secured, but not a trace
of Taylor could be found.
The next letter to Taylor from Mrs.
Taylor was dated April II, and in that
she said:
81 am afraid those men won't do
anything, and it is SO terrible to wait
until they start back with you to Car
rollton. 1t would be awful if they
should fail then"
In her next letter, she also refers to
"those men," and says that they were
located near Belvidere, Kas. Bill, i'll
reply, wrote:
off those men are all right they will
never get back to Carrollton with me,
and I have lots of faith in them. 1
hope George is not suffering for food
and water"
Mrs. Taylor's next letter said:
"Albert got home Saturday evening.
He wrote you Saturday morning, but
he only addressed it to Kansas City
and / am afraid you did not get it. The
men are going to try and do some
thing, and they want your pa and me
to come down Tuesday evening""
The next letter disclosed the plot to
rescue Bill from the Kansas jail. 1t
said:
at must be done this way: When
the man opens the door to let me in
your cell, they will try to take you out,
but I am afraid they won't let me go
inside. l feel so afraid and dread that
it will fall through. There is no telling
what strange men will do. They only
sent for me to come, but l won't do
anything without your pa is with me.
They said to only bring $25. If You
get out / wish you would go with
one band Of them, and they stay On a
ranch near Belvidere. I think they
will let you get a hint some way to-
day il possible. Don't tell Bell what
the plan is"
Then Bill Taylor discovered that the
cipher was known, and the precautions
of the officials prevented any attempt
at rescue either in the Jail or on the
way to Carrollton.