Evening journal., 1897-02-01
PLOT TO BLOW UP A JAIL
Dynamite TO Have Been Usec
10 Liberate Murderers.
HUMAN LIFE WAS IMPsRILLBD

tained Through Assistance of Woman
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. 1.--Willian
Shaffer, who escaped from Jail Oh Jan.
and was rccapturcd last Wednesday, ha,
told Of an alleged plot to effect jail de
livery by using dynamite and possibly tax
ing human life. His story has Just beer
made public, after the arrest of John O
Lewis of fittston, who, he says, was ont
Of the leaders in the plot Two others
whom Shaffer duplicates, Joseph Chano
ski and Joseph Bogesta were arrested OF
Friday.
The plot, according to Shaffer, wa.
formed to save Terrible Pete Wassill ano
Anthony Ienites, convicted murderers
and John kupersavage and John Botka,
who are awaiting trial for murder. Shat
fer says he was taken into Sne plot be
cause Of the service he could render
The plan, he says, was TO blow up the
jail, while the five men escaped through
window, the bars of which had been spread
for that purpose
The chief man TO be rescued was Terri
BILE Pete. He was the leader of one of the
most thoroughly organized bands of cut
throats and robbers that ever existed IN
this county The band was organized fof
the express purpose of robbing the coun
trymen of the members, and it plundered
right and left in all parts of Luzerne
4 county
The members were sworn to protect one
another at all costs and to resort to any
means TO meet resistance and to cover VI
their tracks
All tho plumber went to Terrible Pete
king of the band, who disposed of it and
d made a division of the proceeds He sold
the booty to "a prominent and wealthy
TnQpahanf who il un1nr
4 he salso left all his money with the mer-
chant, who acted as his banker When
4 Pete was arrested for murder last sum.
4 mer, he had several thousand dollars on
4 deposit with this man.
Pete was convicted of murder in the
4 first degree and is awaiting execution He
communicated with his band and hesought
it to save him from the gallows, promis
ing big sum of money to his old accom-
8 plices If they rescued him. They retained
the best Of counsel to obtain a new trial
for Pee, but this process was so slow that
the band decided on other measures
Planned to Use Dynamite.
It was planned to blow up part of the
Jail with dynamite so that in the excite
Z lnent Pete and his companions could gel
4 away. 1t was necessary, however, that the
s men should be released from their cells be
part of the project Shaffer was admitted
to the plot. He is an expert machinisi
and could easily pick the lock of his OWE
cell door. This done, he was TO liberatt
4 the Others
The plotters agreed to pay Shaffer 50, SOC
for his services and they were TO furnish
him with false keys for the cells of Pete
and Zenitcs, the Blacl1man mine murderers.
An impression for these keys was oh.
tained by one of the prisoners in the plot
and given to a woman, who went to a
blacksmith and had the keys made The
keys were smuggled into the Jail and de.
+ liyered to Shaffer.
The dynamite was to be exploded in the
front entrance Of the prison, under Warden
Boland's private apartments. There was
a probability that the warden would be
killed.
The date set for the jail delivery was
New Years morning. The dynamite was
obtained, the window through which the
prisoners were to go to liberty was selected
and jackscrew obtained TO force the bars
apart.
The men outside crept up to the jail at
the appointed time and set to work. The
iackscrew broke under the strain and the
job had to be abandoned FOR the time
The prisoners were notified of the mishap
and told that another attempt would be
r made on Jan. z
Another jackscrew was procured and
this time the window bars were separated
far enough to allow man to crawl
through, but through some oversight the
dynamite bad not been taken to the Jail,
therefore there could be no explosion.
Shaffer had got out Of his cell, according
TO the plan, and was unlocking Petes cell
when the watchman approached. Know
ing he could not get back TO his cell in
time to avoid detection, Shaffer determined
to escape through the window He did so.
After Shaffer had told this story Police
Sergeant Kline and Policeman Honeywell
were detailed TO arrest the men he had i'm
plicated. Chanoski and Bogesta We're ar
rested in Georgetown. Bogesta is said to
have been Petes lieutenant, ard, the po-
lice say, is accused of crimes in Philadel-
phia and Chicago. In Philadelphia, il is
said, he aides two men to escape from Jail.
1t is reported that he was TO receive S3 600
for freeing Peter. Bogesta and ChanosSi,
it is said, operated the iackscrews.
When Pete learned of Bogesta's arrest,
he acted like a madman. Lewis was ar
rested at Pittston last night The three
men are held on a charge of Jail breaking
Seven People Burned Co Death.
JERSEY CITY. Feb. 1.-Seven lives were
lost by fire in Hoboken, suburb of this
city. There were two fires, one beginning
before the other was extinguished. AT the
first one, which was at 410 Newark street,