The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-16
DEMONS DESPERATE CUNNING
MURDERER FLANAGAN PLANS TO
BREAK JAIL.

Iaxntion 0f the Sherin's Vigilance
TO Make His EScape-He Is Nearly
successful But Is Hecnptured After
Bloody Fight.
Atlanta, Ga. Sept 15.-The little town
of Decatur. SIN miles from this city, was
thrown into a high state of excitement
this, morning by the announcement that
Edward Flanagan, the double murderer,
whose case has attracted wide attention
on account Of the plea that he is para
noeac, had made his escape from the
county Jail.
The killing Of Miss Slack and Mrs. Allen
by Flanagan so aroused the community
that there has been constant fear among
the officials that he would be taken out
of the jail and iynched and several times
he has been brought to Atlanta TO escape
mob violence. He was convicted and SEN
fenced to be hanged, but an appeal Is
now pending in the supreme court Since
his conviction and sentence TO death the
excitement, which ran so high at the time
of his first trial that the military had
to be called out, has abated and the noted
murderer has been kept in the Decatur
Jail, the sheriff having no fears of mob
violence or of an attempt on the part of
his prisoner to get away.
In his plan to break out of Jail Flana-
gan was prepared to add another murder
to the two he already has to answer for.
He succeeded in arming himself with a
heavy iron bar, and with this made
vicious charge upon the party who eff
fected his recapture. Attorney C. II. Smith
was badly injured in the fight, and Elan
agan himself. before he could be forced
to submit, had to be fioored with a
heavy scantliug welded by
muscular blacksmith He fought like
madman with murder in his heart His
plan is believed to have been to Kill or
disable Sheriff Austin at the opportune
moment and thus make his escape from
the Jail, but the plan miscarried, though
by mere chance.
Last night at midnight Sheriff Austin
who lives in the Jail building, saw Flana-
gan and babe him good night. Every
thing appeared to be in good order about
his cell and the sheriff had no suspicion
that the noted prisoner was then ready to
execute daring and ingenious plan of
escape.
This morning at O'Clock when the sher-
if went in to give Flanagan his breakfast
he found his cell empty and the prisoner
nowhere to be seen. CHANGING around, he
found the following notes on the murder
ers chair: Il win he gone all night to-
night You will not come in till late to
bring my breakfast BY that time l will
be safe with friends. My friends are good
friends"
''To Mr. Austin: l thank you for taking
off inside Jock. My friends got a key that
happened to fit the out side lock. 1 am
going to a country where 1 will be free.
''E. c. Flanagan"
on the fly leaf Of the Bible was written:
Blessed book that makes me happy. God
Is with me- Blessed hope. am glad
have got other friends on earth. f. c.
Flanagan Send this book to w. w. Fian-
agan."
The discovery was a great shock to the
Sheriff who had been put to special pains
IN keeping Flanagan. He made a hasty
search of jail to find some trace of the
manner in which his prisoner
had escaped, but all the jail doors were
locked apparently as he had left them be-
fore retiring the night before This made
the sheriff believe that Flanagan had re-
ceived assistance from the outside Some
one having secured duplicate keys with
which the doors had been opened and the
ed again. The sheriff at once gave the
alarm and announced that he would pay
a reward of $500 for the capture of the muir
derer. He also communicated with Judge
Gambler who was holding court in Atlanta.
Judge Gambler took recess of an hour
and held a consultation with the governor
who then announced a reward of $500.
kilograms were sent to various places
and lot of descriptive circulars printed
for distribution over the country Search
ing parties also took to the woods and
made thorough hunt for traces of the
missing prisoner while business in the
town was suspended and the only thing
discussed was the escape. While all this
was going on Murderer Flanagan was 81
lently crcuching down in corner of an
unused cell inside the Jail within a few
feet of the cell in which he had been con-
fined, his plan was to remain there until
tonight and then make break for liberty
Two negroes who were formerly confined
in that old cell made their escape and
since then it has not been used. Flanagan
knew this and selected it to serve his pur-
pose. He reasoned that after the first
search of the jail by the sheriff when his
cell was found empty, little attention
would be paid to the Jail building and
hence escape would be easy tonight.
This reasoning proved partly correct.
Sheriff Austin, thinking the prisoner was
gone, released his vigilance and a number
of people were allowed to go into the Jail
to see where the murderer was confined
Among these were several lawyers of De-
catur and newspaper reporters. They
took ii upon themselves to explore every
nook and corner in the Jail Lawyer
Smith, in the course of this exploration
opened the door of the cell in which Elan
agan was hiding and started in. The in
stant he put his head through the door
he was felled with blow by a heavy iron
bar in the hands Of the desperate MUIR
derer. The Others hurried to his assis-
tance and for a few minutes there was a
desperate struggle. Barney Rich, the VIII
lage blacksmith, finally grasped a scant-
ling and knocked Flanagan down. Just
as he was about to crush the skull of the
newspaper reporter with his murderous
iron bar. The blacksmith wanted TO kill
the Infatuated prisoner but was prevent
ed from doing so by the others.
Flanagan was put back into his cell
egain aud securely locked up. How he
got out of it is a mystery to the sheriff
aud jailer. The old cell in which he was
hiding was found TO be locked from the
corridor aud it is also riddle to the sher-
IL TO know how he could have got into IL
aud then bolted it from the outside When
Flanagan was put back into his cage he
4 horrible 1rolrfr,r rs, "a.