The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-04-30
ST. CLAIR ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE.


0o01o, James 003n1lla1.
A Dispatch from Idaho City to
the Boise Statesman, April %. says :
H. G. ST. Clair, the condemned
murderer Of John Decker, made q
daring attempt to escape from the
County Jail this afternoon at 3 80
o'clock and he now lies in q precari-
Gus condition, suffering from num-
b.r of wounds inflicted by James
McQuillan. the intrepid guard.
! Guard McQuillin went out of the
Jail for few minutes, leaving st.
Clair in the corridor. The prisoner
got out the back door Of the corri-
dor and, going around and entering
the front of the Jail, secured a
double-barreled shotgun and a pis-
toll. Immediately afterward Nc
Quillan returned and as he turned
the corner of the building he was
confronted by the desperate MUIR
derer, who had the ehotgun leveled
at him. The guard looked the felon
straight in the eye without finch
ing and proceeded to argue the case
with him. him telling he would bet
ter re-enter the Jail. ST. Clair said
that he had no intention Of re.enter-
ing, but would lock up him 1.-THE
guard). He said, further, it was his
intention to lock up Sheriff Lippin.
colt when the latter should come
over.
While they talked, a noise was
heard, made by wagon passing
near. St. Clair turned his eye to
see what caused the noise, and the
guard Immediately sprang at him.
The murderer recovered himself in
an instant and fired both barrels of
the gun point blank at McQuillan,
but be was disconnected and missed
both shots. Quick as a flash he
drew the revolver and fred, missing
again. BY this time the guard was
on him, his only weapon being
knife. With this he struck at St.
Clair, cutting him severely in the
wrist.
Then began a desperate struggle,
during which McQuillan again and
again stabbed the murderer in the
breast. Finally he wrenched the
pistol from the grasp of st. Clair,
and shot him in the face. the ball
passing through from the right
cheek to the left and lodging in bis
shoulder. This laid the desperate
man out aud the terrible battle was
over.
People in town heard the shoot
ing and rushed to the scene. Some
men were ON that side and they also
ran to the Jail. When they go,
there they found ST. Clair stretched
on the ground bleeding profusely.
while McQuillan guarded him as he
rested to get bis breath after the
desperate struggle.
The wounded man was carried
into the Jail and doctors were sum-
moned. The physicians have not
been able to determine whether or
not the wounds are fatal, as they
cannot tell how serious the knife |
wounds in the breast are. 1t il
thought likely, however, that the
man will recover.
1t seems more than probable that
st. Clair had help in this desperate
attempt to escape, as the sheriff has
found little saw and file that he
used. The saw was made from a
case knife. The sheriff says no
such knives were used about the
Jail, nor were any such used by |
Mrs. Orchard, who carried the pris
oner his meals. St. Clair fled the
hinge of the back door aud sprung
the door until he could squeeze
through. II is not known when he |
did the filing.
The Idaho World says that nine
knife wounds were inflicted on the
person of St. Clair besides the bull
let wounds. The doctor thinks his
chances for recovery are very good.