The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-04
jlILS ARE A JOKE
No Harder to Get Out Than in
in Oklahoma.
PERRYS LATEST DELIVERY
Hot Chase for Two Fugitives
Who. Are ReCaptured.

Guthrie, o. T., Aug. 3.-The county jails
of Oklahoma are becoming joke among
the criminal class. Hardly a week passes
without a jailbreak being recorded, and
it is getting to be a by-word among the
petty criminals that it is harder to get
into jail than out of It Day before yes
terday a jailbreak occurred at Perry and
the Enterprise-Times there is relating the
circumstances Of the escape and recap
ture, calls upon the people to get to-
gether and insist on a secure bastie.
That paper says:
THE escape and recapture of the two
prisoners yesterday afternoon, brings the
fact prominently before the people that
Noble county has one of the poorest ex-
Cuses for Jail in which IL was ever at
tempted to restrain prisoners, and at the
same time a sheriff who is to use the
popular western vernacular, strictly
onto his job Sheriff Foster can in no
way be blamed for the fact that the pris-
oners wanted out-their desire and the
least bit Of effort being all that was
necessary. The pail is, and has been
since 1t was built. altogether unsafe, and
whenever a prisoner becomes possessed Of
a desire to escape he just walks through
the Jail. 1t is almost inhuman to keep
prisoners charged with a small offense
locked within the cells, and the freedom
of the corridor is given them. The roof
IS braced by blocks of wood which rest
on the cells within, the stone in the walls
Is of very soft kind. an dthe wood about
the windows old and rotten. Rain comes
through the roof in little rivulets, 50
much so that during a hard rain the
lights are always extinguished.
''Not very long since the Enterprise
Times devoted considerable space to try
10 get the people out to a meeting at the
court house where a gentleman stood
ready to build a good pail on terms quite
reasonable. Not even enough people
would attend the meeting to Justify the
county commissioners in thinking 1t popu-
lar and the gentleman departed for Paw
nee, where the people are building. on his
teFms, a. jail both ornamental and safe.
Almost every grand jury in this county
reports the present jail unsafe vet no
steps are taken to secure one which Is
cafe. NOw is good time toiagitate this
matter.
Here is a history OF the escape yester-
day: Mr.. Branson. the pallor, had just
fed the prisoners, w. n. Foster. in for
forgery. Aaron Zadick, held on suspicion
boy whose fault was. too great a fond
ness for his neighbor's melons. After this
was done Mr.. Branson. In company with
his family. sat down in the office Of the
Jail, separated from the corridor in which
The prisoners were. by a barred door, and
was eating also. At the barred door
stood the mother of young Berry who
talked with him as he ate. Pretty soon
Jailer Branson asked Berry II the boys
; had enough to eat. Berry looked around
and asked them and not seeing them
looked for an opening and found several
bars held in place by rotten wood, pried
of one Of the windows with one Of the
pieces of 2x4 used as a support between
the eel land roof. Berry at once gave the
alarm and Mr. Branson at once notified
the sherifT's Office and started himself ir
pursuit. A number OF parties Joined ir
the chase, and all deserve credit. Foster
was recaptured northeast OF the city b.
Elmer Bailey. living in the SchIlling prop
erty. Bailey was in the chase in earnest
and was running through q kafir corr
field when he jumped on Foster with
both feet. He was very much surprised
but had come for business and marched
his prisoner back to jail. where he wa.
locked up. The other prisoner, Zadick
was recaptured by Sheriff Foster, who II
company with the retiring editor OF tn,
Democrat-Patriot, Judge Fits, had beer
out to Arnettville TO serve some papers
In order to see as much OF the country
rs possible. they were coming n road no
much Travelled. About four miles from
town they met Jailer Branson on a no
chase for Zadick. The sheriff and Judg
Fits Immediately bent their energies Il
the direction Of his capture The judg
recalled seeing a man emerge hurTiedl,
from a cornfeld and then run back int
Il. at a point about a mile back Of wher
they then were. They went back and az
ter tedious search found the escape
prisoner. who was frightened badly by a
Intimation Of Sheriff Fosters. who, whe
near him, called TO Judge Fits: Com
over here. Judge and I'll shoot him ou
nf the tall grass" Hold on. Mr.. Foster
I'm coming" cried out the frightene
man. and he hurriedly came
And now they're back in Jail. bu
they'll walk out OF that pail again whe
they get ready"