New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1898-02-16
RATS AS SENTINELS.
The TRICK worked BY CRIMINALS
IN AN OHIO PRISON. =:

convicts Who Trained Rats to Give Warm
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 so
prisoners was more Of a job than he
cared to keep While he was still in
charge notorious criminal named Eos
ter and an accomplish 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.''
Dressing himself, he put a 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.
"What's the matter?' 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 IN going to sneak in two tiers I'M
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 sound which indicated that
an effort was being made to saw the
cell bars. Nevertheless, he could not
there perfectly quiet until O'clock
Then he went to breakfast, called a
deputy and placing the handouts and
leg irons Oh Foster and his confederate,
prepared to take them to Columbus on
an early train.
LAS soon as We leave,' said the
sheriff to Abrams, 'you search the cell
and telegraph NE 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 banded 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.
"That's right,:' said Foster; "but
| MI do ;,,%o +lo ;o;1 l.,
night and stay SO long? Who put you
on?''
"Nobody," answered Ryan. II just
guessed it. But how did you know
was there? Did you hear me?''
"Not a sound. You made a quie,
sneak for such big man. said Eos
ter s pal.
"Then how did you know l was
there?" persisted the sheriff.
"Now, see here, Mr.. Ryan, replied
Foster. "We're in for long term, anc
if you will put good word in for u!
we'll tell you our secret
"Agreed!" said Ryan.
"Well, where we got the saws il
neither here nor there and none of you
business said Foster, .'but we knew
you were watching US and knew that i
we wanted to give you the slip ",
would have to exercise more than Or
binary or human vigilance. Now, tn
Jail is full of rats, and Jail rats, having
been killed SO often by way of amuse
ment for the prisoners, are timid. Rat
like meat. We saved some of our mea
at supper every night and scattered i
in front of the cell. The rats soon real
lied that we meant them no harm
, and after number of experiments the,
! would allow one of US to feed then
while the other worked. Rats have
keener sense of hearing than men, an,