The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-03-01
RATS AS SENTINELS.
THE TRICK WORKED BY CRIMINALS
IN AN OHIO PRISON.

Convicts Who Trained Rats to Give Warn.
ing of the Approach of Keepers While
They Sawed Their Cell Bars-A Sheriff
Rewarded For Vigilance.
A story told by W. R. Ryan, an old
Ohio sheriff illustrates the ingenuity
of criminals. Ryan was sheriff of Cuya
hoga county for several years and re-
fused third or fourth nomination for
the office for the reason that the county
Jail in Cleveland was SO old and dilapi-
dated that the watching of the 70 or 80
prisoners was more of job than he
cared to keep While he was still in
charge a notorious criminal named Eos
ter and an accomplice were convicted
and sentenced to a long term of i'm
prisonment in the Ohio penitentiary.
At that time the Jail was crowded, and
Sheriff Ryan was compelled to place
both convicted men in the same cell.
The sheriff lived in the county build
ing, and on the night following the con-
viction of Foster he went to bed soon
after supper, intending to get up early
the next morning and take the two
prisoners to the penitentiary. About
midnight he awoke with a start. He
was trembling violently and was con-
WINGED that trouble was brewing in the
Jail.
"There's something wrong in the
JAIL" he said to his wife, land I'll bet
Foster is about ready to break out. I'm
going down stairs to look around. f"
Dressing himself, he put revolver
into his pocket and noiselessly went
down to the chief jailer's room on the
first floor. Abe Abrams, his deputy,
was guarding the Jail door,
whats the natter" asked Abrams.
"What's wrong in the jail?" returned
the sheriff.
Nothing, :" replied Abrams.
Haven't you heard the noise of
saws?" asked Ryan.
Nope, and they amt been working,
or I'd heard 'em, as I've been laying
mighty quiet
Ryan was suspicious and listened at
tentively at the Jail door. There was no
noise except an occasional snore of one
! of the prisoners.
"Abe, said Ryan, "I'm certain Eos
ter and his pal are up to mischief. I've
been feeling it in my bones all night,
and I'm going to sneak in two tiers un-
der their cell and listen
He opened the Jail door noiselessly
and crept through the Jail until he was
under Fosters cell He had not made
the slightest noise. OF that he was GER
tain. He breathed regularly and with as
little noise as possible, and he could
not detect a sound which indicated that
an effort was being made to saw the
cell bars. Nevertheless, he could not
get rid of his suspicion and remained
there perfectly quiet until 5 O'Clock.
Then he went to breakfast, called
deputy and, placing the handouts and
leg irons on Foster and his confederate,
prepared to take them to Columbus on
an early train.
GAS soon as we leave,'' said the
sheriff to Abrams, ''you search the cell
and telegraph me the result at Colum-
bus"
When Columbus was reached about
noon, this message was handed to Ryan;
Found two dozen fine file saws in cell.
ABRAMS.
Ryan handed the telegram to the
prisoners, and when they read it they
laughed.
"You see,- boys, that you may be
pretty foxy, but you couldn't beat the
old man. said the sheriff.
CHATS right" said Foster; "but
what made you come into the Jail last
night and stay SO long? Who put you
on?''
Nobody" answered Ryan. 81 just
guessed it. But how did you know l
was there? Did you hear me?''
"Not a sound. You made a quiet
sneak for such a big man, said Eos
ter's pal.
"Then how did you know was
there?" persisted the sheriff.
Now, see here, Mr.. Ryan" replied
Foster. "We're in for long term, and
if you will put good word in for US
we'll tell you our secret. -
"Agreedl" said Ryan.
"Well, where we got the saws is
neither here nor there and none of your
business" said Foster, "but we knew
you were watching us and knew that if
we wanted to give you the slip we
would have to exercise more than or
binary or human vigilance. Now, the
Jail is full of rats, and Jail rats, having
been killed SO often by way Of amuse-
ment for the prisoners, are timid. Rats
like meat. We saved some of our meat
at supper every night and scattered it
in front of the cell. The rats soon real
lied that we meant them no harm,
and after number Of experiments they
would allow one of us to feed them
while the other worked. Rats have q
keener sense of hearing than men, and
if an outsider should appear they would
run. Well, when you sneaked into the
Jail last night we didn't hear you, but
the rats did. They scampered and we
quit When you left, the rats returned,
but it was too late then, and the game
was up. ;"
The records of county commissioners
show that Oh the following day requi-
sition was received from the sheriff's
office calling for two dozen rat traps
and case of rat poison. Pigeonholed
in the prosecuting attorney s Office is an
indictment entitled Estate of Ohio YER
sus Rodent, for aiding and abetting the
attempted escape of certain prisoners of
the state from the county Jail of Cuya-
hoga county, state of Ohio. This
charge never came to trial, and the de-
PENDANTS suffered capital punishment
whenever captured without even hay
ing hearing. cleveland Letter.