The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-10-21
CRIMINALS BREAK JAIL.
SAWED THEIR WAY.
Harry Morton, Charles Winston and
John Adams Take French Leave
of Sheriff keyes.

Fond du Lac, Wis, Oct. 1G.-ISpe-
cial. What proved to be Il successful
attempt at jail-brcaking occurred dur
ing the night when Harry Moron and
Charles Winston, awaiting trial for the
Fairwater robbery, and John Adams,
charged with highway robbery, broke
+ ' by saving through the bars. The
est ape was not known until Turnkey
Konz went into the south corridor this
morning and discovered that the trio
were not there. The alarm was sound
ed and the sheritf's force, in company
with police officers and several citizens,
organized searching party and secured
the city and county i'll their efforts to
locate the escaping criminals. AT y
o'clock Sheriff keyes sent descriptions
of the three to the various cities Of the
state, and cards were issued this after
noon giving thorough description of
the men.
An investigation of the quarters where
Winston. Morton and Adams were con
fined. revealed the fact that bar had
been sawed out on each of the cell doors;
one from the door Of the corridor ana
from a door leading TO the outside. An
iron door leading to the outside was un-
locked. showing that the criminals had
used key which had been smrsglcd INTO
their cells at the same time the saws
were passed through from the outside.
| The openings were 1 by IT. feet III SIZE.
made by saving away one Of the heavy
bars. 1T is quite probable that three
saws were used to do the work as blank
cts lying on the floor on the inside or
each cell give evidence that each of the
men did the work while on their knees.
Two large bars of soap lying on the floor
show the indentations made by the saws.
Sheriff Keyes ana Turnkey kOnz
locked the men in their cells at $50
o'clock Sunday evening and nothing was
heard during the night which would lndl-
| cate that wholesale Jail-breakIng WAS
taking place In order to gain their hb-
erty the men had to go through siX sets
of bars besides unlocking the iron door
Mr.. Haas, who was called to the jail to
repair the bars, states that they are of
| soft steel, and he estimates that with a
good saw bar could be sawed through
in about fifteen minutes. This being the
case. and the work having been com
! menced soon after they were locked up
for the night. it is quite probable that
| they escaped about midnight.
John Burke residing on Seymour street
and Richard Edwards residing Just be
yond Scott street on the Oshkosh road.
had horses taken during the night. Mr.
Burke lost his horse, harness and buggy,
while Mr. Edwards had only Il horse.
bride and lines taken. At first it was
| believed that both the animals had been
| taken by the escaping CRIMINALS. but the
officers have changed their opinion since
ma king an investigations. The Burke
! horse was fed early in the evening and
| only a portion of the feed was gone this
| morning That being the case they are
| ot the opinion that the animal was stolen
! in the evening Edwards horse was not
! missed until this morning and il is quite
| probable that the animal was taken by
! the escaping prisoners.
This is the fourth time that an at
! tempt has been made by this same gang
| to ESCAPE. Saws were used one time
/ and OF another occasion dynamite or
/ gunpowder were used to blow up the
! walls The third attempt was made when
| Charles Winston broke Jail, but was soon
( afterwards captured.
| Morton and Winston are the men who
/ made confessions implicatlng Detective
| Zero Of Ripon with the Fairwater rob
| berry. Later Morton tried to 20 back on
! his word and finally Winston attempted
! to escape with Il view Of not having TO
/ give testimony when the Fairwater rob
| berry case came'Up for trial With Wins
| ton and Morton free. the case against
/ Zero falls fiat as the state was depend
/ ing largely upon the confessions of these
| two. John Adams was 80 years Of age.
| about = feet : inches in height. and
/ weight iu pounds He had "a mustacht
! Charles Winston was % years OF age.
| ; feet g inches i'll height, gray beard,
! about four weeks out, and weighed
| about 40 pounds. Harry Morton was
/ - years of age, smooth-shayen. weight
/ 40 pounds and was ; feet : inches tall.