The herald., 1897-05-27

commenced about two months ago when
he was occupying the cell with Will
Warner, one Of the negroes who MUIR
dered Jim Bellew. The tank is the
strongest one in the county Jail and was
originally built especially for United
States prisoners, but has since been
used for the confinement of the most
desperate criminals. 1t is made Of net
ting composed Of bars three inches wide
and a quarter Of an inch thick. Nc
Carthy said that these bars were all cut
in about thirty minutes. The rest Of the
work had progressed slowly. He said
that he would have been out several
months ago but for the vigilance Of
Jailer Kennedy, on account Of whose
watchfulness, he said, he had been un-
able to work Of late.
When he had told about his attempt
to escape and the miscarriage Of his
plans he said: well, I suppose that
have nothing to lose now by talking
about the bank robbery. and for the
first time since his arrest he confessed
that he was guilty.
TELLS OF THE TUNNEL JOB
IT did that bank tunnel job" he said.
land I worked damned hard on 1t, too.
If had had another day I would have
got at that vault, and then there would
have been no danger of a prosecution,
as the bank officials would have been
only too glad to compromise the matter
for part Of the money.
II worked on that tunnel for about ten
weeks. During that time I never
worked over five hours day. While
was working kept up communication
with Jones in the saloon by means Of a
speaking tube, and in that way I always
knew when it was safe to come up with
out attracting attention.
You were all wrong in your suspi-
cions ae to who were connected with the
scheme. I was brought out here from
the east to do this job. One Of the prin-
cipal characters is dead and the other Is
in Nicaragua. only mention them now
because know that they are beyond the
pale Of Justice.
II have been a thief for years and
have made many thousands Of dollars
in that way, and this is the first time I
have ever been convicted. would die
before I would give a partner away,
and no one shall ever know from my
lips who my accomplices WERE"
TAKEN NORTH TO PRISON
Mccarthy was kept closely watched
during the day. and Deputy Sheriff
Barnhill left with him on the $3.50 o'clock
train for San Quentin, where he is to
serve a ten years sentence. He was
taken from the Jail in a closed carriage
to the Arcade depot, being accompa-
MED by Sheriff Burr, Jailer Kennedy
and Others
While the Oregon boot was being
Mccarthy remarked to those standing
near him: II will never serve out my
sentence in San Quentin. I will either
escape inside of three years or be killed
in the attempt"
McCarthy's behavior since his cap
ture and trial for being the principal in
the scheme to tunnel under the vaults
of the First National bank and break
through when opportunity offered, has
been one Of unrest. The facts in con
nection with that scheme will be still
fresh in the public memory. How for
nine months Mccarthy, Stewart, Ste
vens and two other men worked In the
tunnel which had been run from tn.
saloon on Commercial street, run by
Fred Jones, until point was reached
underneath the bank vaults. How
when the eventful night came and tn.
cracksmen broke through from the tun.
mel into the bank, they found to thejl
intense disgust that their labor had al
been in vain, for they had reached only
a lower vault, and time did not suffice
to bore through the steel walls of the
~, -
stored. The several parties to that
really stupendous scheme then separ-
ated and each sought to save himself
by flight. The capture and trial OF
Mccarthy and Jones are, comparatively
speaking, recent events. The latte.
turned states evidence and Mccarthy
was sentenced to ten years in the states
prison at San Quentin. He appealed his
case and last week the supreme court
affirmed the judgment of the lower
court.
HIS PREVIOUS ATTEMPT
But before that point was reached he
made an Independent break for liberty,
without relying upon the legal quib-
bles and technicalities of the law. Nc
Carthy had, with the assistance Of
friends outside, laid his plans to escape
from Jail early last January. A negro
trusty, who had been released from Jail
a day or two previously after having
served his term, was to have been ad
mitted after visiting hours with a coil
of rope thirty feet long secreted about
his body, to be handed over to Mccarthy
The latter depended upon releasing
himself from his cell by means of false
keys, saving the bars of one Of the Sec
ond story windows and then, by means
Of the rope, lowering himself to the
ground.
The scheme was ingenious, but came
to nothing. for Jailer Kennedy got wind
of the affair. AS understood at the
time, the plot was exposed by the ex-
trusty, James Matthews. who was to
have smuggled in the rope. An air o.
mystery was thrown around the at
tempted escape, and on the morning of
the discovery Of the attempt Charles
Malone, a turnkey suddenly resigned.
What part he played in the matter re-
mains still mystery. ll
AN UNDERGROUND CHALLENGE
Altogether Mccarthy may fairly b.
pronounced the most skillful and des-
perate crook that has been captured in