The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-14
KASsON HAS A RECORD
Was Well Known Jail Bird in
Great Falls.
SOME OF HIS ESCAPES
He Broke Out of Jail in Benton and
Nearly Succeeded in Doing the
Same Thing in Great Falls.
Caught in the Act.

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Great Falls. Dec, 19,-The following
Associated Press dispatch. dated at San
Francisco and printed Saturday, re-
calls an incident long since forgotten in
this city.
The sentence of w f. kasson who
has been confined 10 months in the Jail
here for embezzlement, expires to-mor-
row. He will at once go East to claim
his inheritance of $250,o00. Kasson is
one of the two sons of James Kasson,
a mining man of New York, who died
few weeks ago at Austin, Iowa. Kas-
son was largely interested in Montana
{ and Idaho Mines and by judicious in
@syestment he amassed a fortune of half
a million. His only children are these
two sons-the prisoner in the Jail here
and Il. Kasson, a barber in Sioux City.
8 Kasson lived in this city in the year
-tof 1887 and Great Falls is not proud Of
1.-THE fact that he published and COM
sspiled the first city directory which she
lever had or that he belonged to the
.~statT Ola local paper. He came to this
4 city from Dubuque, iowa. What got
j kassun into trouble here was that he
hired a rig one morning at the stable
s~kept byaRence and drove to Sun River.
There he disposed OF the outfit to John
'Devine, proprietor OF the Sun River
hotel and started for Helena. He was
1dplui6Q tHtiB anu D1ouSHl DaGh w liilo
city, ss-e.t
The county had just been organized
and the late G. p. Downing was the
sheriff His deputies We're Jack Sweeney
and Sol Yates. w. HI Black, who was
then sheriff of Choteau county, was in
the city at the time and prior to it had
had Kasson in the jail at Benton on
some offense Shortly after his incar
ceration he managed with outside as
sistance to escape from Jail and he
made for Belt.
The officers scattered in all directions
in his pursuit. Sol Yates was the officer
detailed to go on horseback to Belt.
When part way out he saw kasson with
the aid of field glasses riding on the
end of a wagon bound for John Cashiers
ranch. Making detour so as to avoid
detection he reached Cashiers ranch
first and was concealed there when
Kasson entered and sat down to dinner.
He got the drop on him and on search
ing him found in his possession a razor
and bowie knife. taken from trunk
in Great Falls which he had pillaged
about the time of the horse deal. Kas-
son was brought to town safely and
again lodged in JAIL and soon after was
tried Judge Bach, now Of Helena, pre-
sided at the trial. The jury after a
brief absence from the court room
brought in a verdict Of guilty, and Kas-
son was taken back to jail to await
sentence.
There We're in the Jail at the time l.
other prisoners, Including one who got
Is years at the same term of court for
numbering his wife. During the day
some attorneys went to the jail to con-
suit with clients and as the space was
very limited kasson, among others. was
brought out into. the janitor's bedroom
during the visit. There he secured, I'M
known to the officers, butcher knife
with half the blade broken off. Jack
Sweeney, armed with short barreled
shot gun, was the night jailor and he
was on duty, while G. p. Downing, whose
family at that time was still in the
East occupied a room in the building
adjacent. then the prison proper. Sol
Yates. the remaining member of the
sheriffs force, was out late that even
ing. and when came in he found Down.
ing in bed He also turned in but did
hot readily get 10 sleep. As he laid
there he heard peculiar noise from the
cell room which made him uneasy. He
tawoke Downing, who told him he must
be mistaken and advised him to go to
sleep. He heard the noise second time
and pulling on his slippers went to the
door of the cell room and listened. In SO
doing he made slight noise. Some one
inside cried, ..Sish, but it was too late
to prevent Yates seeing the candle by
whose light they were working. 1t was
enough to send him back to his room
and cause him to dress. He went out
side and taking Sweeney's shot gum
laid for developments. In few min
utes piece of the weather boarding fell
outward and a head appeared for recon-
.notering purposes, then Yates yelled
Jerk in your head if you don't want
1t taken off,
When the two others had investigated
they found Kasson and his pals had cut
clear through the inside wall of the jail
and only one or two boards remained
between them and freedom. The cut
they made may still be seen in the
building. kasson was then taken to
the Park hotel and placed in a dark
room. shackles We're put on him and his
clothes were put away and separated.
the different pieces being placed in diff
! ferent rooms. The court being appraised
of the facts of the attempted escape. 1t
no doubt did not make the sentence any
lighter on that account Kasson was
sent to Deer Lodge for five years and
served about four, getting an allow
ance for good behavior. After his re-
lease he was next heard of at What
COM, where he was working in the office
of "A real estate broker.
The MosT SIMPLE AND SAFE REMEDY for