The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-03-22
A JAIL DELIVERY.
Jailor Wlndham Gives Prisoners
Freedom of Corridor---They
Knock Hole in Jail Wall
and Escape.

While Jailor Wiudhsm was at church Sun
day three of the foue prisoners con6oed in
the jail picked hole in The brick wall and
made their escape The fourth prisoner,
Tom Taylor, who is kept in jail, under life
sentence 10 the peuitentiary, pending an ap-
peal 10 tie supreme court, did not join his
fellow prisoners in their break for liberty, and
from him the particulars of the escape we're
ssceriained.
The three daring Jail breakers were Daniel
Hol1es, who is charged with burglary and
larceny Zske White, charged with obtain
ing goods under false pretences Jack
Hanks, Clarendon county prisoner, charged
with larceny of 1--we stock
Zeke White was the ring leader of the Jail
breakers, and, according to the statement OF
Tom Taylor, had been laying his plaos for
told the other prieoners that if they would
Hanks assented, but Taylor says be told MIN
be preferred to stay in Jail and stand trial
again.
Sunday morning Jailor Windham released
the prisoners from the cage cells and allowed
them the freedom of the corridor surround
lag the cages.
White and his accomplices first hung
blanket out of the corridor window to con-
ceai them while at work then they opened
the window casing and removed the sash
weight, bar Of iron about two feet in
length and weighing about seventy pounds.
Using this weight as a crowbar they priced
and knocked out the bricks jest below the
window sill until hole was made in the wall
large enough for man to pass through.
Crawling through this hole, which was con-
cealed on the outside by blanket, they
dropped to the ground, distance of only
six or sevee feet. They then easily scaled
the jail yard fence and made their escape. An
iron spoon that had been carelessly left in the
corridor some days before, was used as a
screw driver, and with that the casiug was
opened in order to get to the cash weights.
jailor Windham returned from church in
time to see one Of the negroes disappearing
around the corner of the jail square, bat was
unable TO stop his fight.
Taylor gave the alarm about the time Of
Jailor Windham's return to the Jail, but
after the other prisoners had made their
escape. he claims that he was asleep and
did not wake until the others had escaped
from the Jail, but that he gave the alarm as
soon as be discovered that they had escaped.
Deputy Sheriff Gaillard and jsiler Wind
ham set out in pursuit of the escaped prison
era as sooo as possible, but although they
searched indefatigably all the Afternoon no
trace of them could be found. Deputy Sheriff
Gailla-d says that he could not find out
which direction they took and the attempt to
capture them without bloodhounds was like
searching for needle in hsystack. The
escaped criminals undoubtedly had friends
among the negroes, and have had assistance
in covering their fight and eludiog capture.
Sheriff Pierson will make every effort to
recapture the three Jail breakers, bnt with
tie lead they have already obtained the
chances are in their favor
If the county had pair of well-trained
blood. d.hounds the capture of the .iail breakers
would have been al easy matter, for the trail
was still hot when the escape was disco vered.