The herald., 1897-04-17
TO BREAK JAIL
Kid Thompson's Desperate
Plot Discovered
MURDER THE GUARD
And Then Fight His Way to
Liberty
A GUN SMUcCLED INTO JAIL
COLONEL rUPPER HAS PLAYED
HIS PART
A GUN SMUccLED INTO JAIL
COLONEL TUPPER HAS PLAYED
HIS PART
Several Of Those Implicated Under
Arrest-A Woman to Assist the
Desperadoes-A Trusty
in the Plot

kid" Thompson, the desperate train
robber, who has been twice sentenced
to death and is now on trial for third
time for his life. was caught yesterday
afternoon shortly after o'clock in the
act of receiving loaded revolver and
a handful of cartridges from trusty
in his cell in the county jail. The dis
covery was made by Jailer Kennedy.
The trusty, whose name is Kramer, was
Immediately seized and thrown in the
dungeon.
Kennedy happened to be watching
Kramer at the time and saw him Just
as he was in the act Of showing the re-
volver through the grating Of Kids cell.
and stopped proceedings before the train
rnhher and murderer could get his hands
upon the weapon.
The act was part of deep laid plot
for Kid to make a desperate break for
liberty, and was engineered by Kids
cowboy friend, Col. Tupper of Arizona.
who came here for the avowed purpose
of clearing Kid from the trdinwreck-
ing charge by his testimony. Tupper
was in attendance at the trial yester-
day afternoon and at the end of his tes-
timony was placed under arrest and
locked up In one of the tanks at the
county jail. This was the first hint that
he had Of the miscarriage Of his plans.
THE PLAN OF ESCAPE
There were number Of persons i'm
plicated in the attempted escape, among
= l,xyt to ~ Of -
gle Brown and a man by the name Of
Harris. who are both in Jail. There was
another man named Jenkins who was
implicated, but he has not yet been
arrested. There were also several 9TH
ers whose names it was impossible to
learn last night. but 1t is understood
that there will be several more arrests
made today. The scheme had been
planned for several days, and 1t was
only through the vigilance Of the off,
GERS that 1t did not prove successful.
Two or three days ago the officers
heard a rumor that there was some
sort of an attempted escape being plan
ned to deliver Kid Thompson, and the
custodians Of the Jail have watched his
visitors very closely. Yesterday Jen-
kins called at the Jail at 10 o'clock to
visit the trusty, Kramer, and during
his stay Jailer Kennedy became con-
vinced that all was not well. Just what
led him to this suspicion he did not say,
but after Jenkins departure he watched
Kramer's every movement. He saw him
walk over to Kid Thompson's cell, and,
taking something from under his coat.
start to hand it in between the bars.
He was upon the man in an instant and
had him down. 1t was then that his
suspicious were confirmed. Kramer was
trying to pass 44-caliber revolver
through the grating to the desperate
train robber. with which he expected
to shoot his guard and make bold
break for liberty.
KRAMER CONFESSEs
When Kramer saw that he was caught
he confessed everything. He said that
the gun had been brought to him for
Thompson by Jenkins, and that the lat
ter had received 1t from a man named
Harris, and that It had been given to
Harris by Tupper. the Arizona cowboy.
Thompson was to take the gun and on
the way over to the courthouse from the
Jail he was to shoot the guard and make
a dash for liberty. Tupper was to be on
hand, also armed, and the two were to
fight their way to freedom.
The matter was kept perfectly quiet
and Tupper appeared in court in the
afternoon to give his testimony in be-
half OF Kid. The first intimation that
Tupper had of the failure Of his plot was
when Assistant District Attorney Nc
Comas asked him, on cross-examination,
II he had not planned an escape for Kid.
He replied that he had not. He was i'm
mediately placed under arrest and TAX
en- over to the jail. Harris was arrested
last night at the Natick house.
JAILER KENNEDY's STORY
According to Jailer Kennedy's etory.
the plan was bold one and the men had
resolved to take desperate chances. The
whole plot was engineered by Tupper.
who is a desperate character and is now
out under $4,000 bonds to appear to an
swer to q charge Of murder committed
In Arizona. When he came here he was
determined to get Kid Thompson free.
He was first to testify and try to clear
KID that way, and II unsuccessful, then
to use other means.
Immediately after his arrival he set
about arranging his plans Kramer's
services were secured 80 sort Of go
between.
himself and Thompson Jenkins and
Harris were also brought into the plot,
but just what part they were to play In
the Anal delivery Is not known.
Tupper brought considerable money
with him from Arizona and 1t was part
Of the scheme to have horse and buggy
near the court house nlled with guns,
and after they had fought their way
clear Of the officers to make for this and
drive away. On arriving here Tupper
soon got rid of most Of his money, how
ever. and had to abandon this part Of
the plan.
WOMAN IN THE CASE
Maggie Brown was not to act unless
Tupper's plan feiled. In that case che
was TO take passage on the train which
should bear Kid north to his doom ana
mApr@n WA. - Aa.-- ~