The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-08
TRIO OUT OF JAIL
QUINN, FROST AND RIDER CUT
THEIR WAY TO
LIBERTY.
CASE KNIFE THEIR WEAPON.
THEIR ALERT JAILERS KNEW
NOTHING OF THE ESCAPE
FOR HOURS.
EDITH MAY WHITE SENTENCED.
Girl Highwayman Goes to the Re-
fOrmatOry-NeNs of Minne-
apOlis.
DITH MAY WHITE SENTENCED.

AS had been predicted by every ex-
pert who has seen the new cell work in
the county Jail, there was a jail deliv-
cry yesterday which was only pre-
vented from being a wholesale one, by
the fact that the three prisoners who
escaped broke IA tn with their fellows.
When the day watch relieved the
night watch yesterday morning, it was
found that Jack Quinn, the highway
man, Frank Frost, one of the Bryn
MaWr robbers, and Michael Rider, the
alleged forger Of ST. Paul, had flown.
The escaped prisoners had considera-
bic start as they must have left the
Jail in the very early morning, and
they undoubtedly made the most Of the
time given them before their escape
was discovered. AS early as o'clock
scores Of police and detectives were on
watch for the fugitiyes, and others urg-
ed on by a substantial reward, were
after the men who are wanted for trial
on serious charges
AS stated above there was not a sus-
picion that the men had flown until z
o'clock in the morning when the day
watch came on. Two men were
acting as night watch, but
they heard nothing during the
night They had made ten-minute
trips by the row of cages in the CORR
dor, and supposed all was we'll They
heard no cutting or saving and until
the day watch made it's first round
nothing was discovered. Then all was
hustle. kilograms were sent, police
were notified, the sheriff offered a re-
ward of 500 for each man captured and
the whole force was after the crimi-
nails.
BARS HAD BEEN CUT.
An investigation Of the cages and
bars shows that the bars had been cut
ion some time and the prisoners were
only awaiting good opportunity to
make their escape. From the marks
on the cut bars it looks as if no saw
had been used, but simply a thin blade
of steel, probably partially roughened
at the edge, for there are no clean
cuts. The cut ends are polished. as
If whitfield The iron itself is as soft
as lead. and a good steel blade will
white it like wood. 1t was evidently
very little exertion to get through one
end of the bar, and half through the
other
There is not the least doubt but what
the men had contemplated the work
for some days and had help from the
outside. There was a plan for gen
eral delivery, but the leaders finally
decided to keep the matter to them
selves, because the first oVertures made
some time ago by Quinn were told by
the other party and he would take no
more into the secret. The authorities
paid little attention to the word given
them by a prisoner that there was to
be an attempt to escape.
Quinn, the ringleader, has been in
Jail several weeks, but the two in the
other cell have only been In custody a
little over a week, SO they must have
worked rapidly. Sheriff Phillips is
very much put out over the affair. and
thinks strongly Of asking to be allowed
to use the old Jail, which is at least
secure. The present one is absolutely
insecure, more so than many small
country iails, for good thin case
knife and ten minutes time is all that
is necessary to provide liberty for the
prisoners.