Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-10-23

down the front steps and sidewalk
| It was few minutes before six
o'clock. The two TRUSTEES" assembled
the stairs to the platform upon which
the communicating door opens. By
looking and listening they found the
Waterman was out in front. They UNI
locked the communicating door, which,
very improperly, can be opened from
the inside, and found themselves IN
| the Jail rctunda. With the cell key
! they let themselves into the jailor' s
! Office, and from there unlocked and
opened the iron-clad door leading to
| the Bridge of Sighs." Thence they
| entered the room Of the Criminal
| Court, which is next to the jail. They
i must at first have contemplated. jump
| ing from window, for they opened
one, leading out to the yard in the
rear of the Court House, and laid the
| wooden key, which they carried with
them, down on the window sill. 1t
was too high, however, and after cx-
| perimenting with the transOm over
the doors leading from the court room
to the outside corridors, they pulled
down the bolt which fastens the
double Court room doors inside, push
ed the doors open, walked down stairs,
and left the Court House for freedom.
They have not been seen or heard Of
since. The men were seen by Janitor
| Sam Sloan, of the City Hall, who was
opening the City Engineers office, but
Mr.. Sloan did not know them, and
had no suspicion of the escape, and
gave the matter no thought whatever,
as was perfectly natural, for men are
going through the Public Building at
all hours of the day and night, and it
is no part of the janitor's business to
even notice them. The publication
made in an evening paper that it was
JailOr Mccormack who was sweeping
| the sidewalk, etc., was wholly mislead-
ing. The jailor had nothing to do
with the matter and was not on duty.
AS soon as the escape was known
Sheriff Richards was advised of the
fact, and he made the most careful en-
quiry. He also telegraphed to number
Of points, and in the afternoon mailed
a large number Of descriptions to off,
Gals in other cities and towns. The
official description of the prisoners is
as follows:
Jack O'Neill-Six feet and a half
inch, weighs about 100 pounds, light
hair, large blue eyes, stopped some
what, wore light mustache, but usu-
ally shaves smooth, gray pants. black
frock coat, extremely short, No.
shoes, lump on left small finger, walks
awkwardly.
John Savers, alias McCollough-Five
feet nine inches, weighs about $50
dc, terLE hntn
large Roman noes, high cheek bones,
brown double breasted sack coat, jeans
pants, No. s shoes, light mustache and
short sideburns, walks with graceful
movement.
A reward of s25 is offered for the
arrest of one or both of the men.
Savers has twenty months of a SEN
tence against him, On burglary con-
viction, for looting the List, Behrens,
Klieves, Heiner, and other residences.
He was captured by Lieut.. Ingram.
O'Neill was sentenced for a year for
the Schambra robbery, and was also
captured by Lieut.. Ingram.
1t is matter of record, in the Of
flee of the Clerk of the Court, that sew
eral committees have recommended
the changing of the locks on the Jail
doors. The last recommendation to
this effect was made by Messrs. Will
liam Ellingham, G. F. Bachman and
DR.. Armbrecht. But nothing has ever
| been done with the recommendation
| Sheriff Franzheim also insisted upon
change, for the better security of the
| prisoners, but his recommendation
likewise fell upon Indifferent ears
Whether anything will be done now
is very uncertain.