The Saint Paul globe., 1899-05-28
Peculiar Jail Break at Toledo.

Recently the county jail In Toledo, O.,
was the scene of the human pyramid act
which is generally witnessed in a circus
or on the stage. Five daring postolfice
robbers performed the feat and thus
escaped from durance. These men gave
the names of William Johnson, George
Jones, William White, Thomas Miller and
Fred Williams. Williams and Miller were
locked in the same cell. They discovered
that bad job of riveting had been done
with the lock thereto. SO they made it
worse. They were locked up in April. and
in less than three weeks were free The
pyramid was erected in the inside of
chimney which led to the roof Thence
the men dropped by an improvsed rope
and lightning rod to the ground.
1t seems to have taken very little time
for the five men to make their plans for
escape. for they were only captured at
the beginning of April. While some
watched the waFders others went behind
the cell tier and worked at the lower bar
which guarded the fireplace leading into
the abandoned chimney. The bits of
stone they removed were ground into
powder and scattered as dust The place
of the stone was taken by skillfully pre-
pared and colored bread.
On the night chosen for the escape Will
liams and Miller drew the bolt AMI left
their CELL With a bit of wire they picked
the locks which confined their three COM
radeS, and then, apparently in mere bra
vado, freed nearly a dozen other prison.
erS. From the men so liberated they
requisitioned sheets, and they also an
neXed strong rope which had been
stretched across the cellroom for a
clothesline. The sheets were torn into
strips and long, strong rope was made
from them.
| When all was ready. the. loosened bar
was taken from the fireplace, and the
T lightest of the men tried TO climb the
chimney. He couldn t. There was hur-
ried council and the man who had failed
was sent into the chimney again He
managed to scramble up a few feet. so as
to make room for another man to get
beneath him.
In this way, man by man, they built
a regular pyramid until the top man was
able to reach the bars at the upper end
! Of the chimney. Inequalities of the wall
helped TO take off some of the waigh from
the man who was lowest in the pyramid,
while, as there was no balancing involved,
it was a mere matter of ability to carry
weight.
| 1t took but little time for the top man
TO loosen the guarding bars of the CHM
ney. He made his rope rast to one of
the bars, clambered up and then pulled
up one of his comrades. There was plenty
of room for all on the broad coping of the
! chimney
From the top of the chimney to the
roof was a fffteen-foot drop and the
| five We're afraid to take it for fear Of
| waking someone by the sounds of the
| thumps upon the roof. Their rope ar
rangements had been liberal, so they
| drew up part of the line leaving the rest
| of it in the chimney for emergencies. A
! lightning rod ran from the chimney to
| the roof and by putting the line near to
! this the men got the advantage of a.
! double hold as they slid down.
When the five had finally removed them
| selves others of the prisoners sauntered
| out on the roof and took the morning air
| for "a while Frank Henderson, having
| the price, descended to the courthouse
yard. crossed to q saloon. got big drink,
/ bought a fash and returned via the light
: ming rod to his comfortable cell.