The San Francisco call., 1899-01-26
C0LWELL IN GALLERY ROLE
HAD CELL BARS ALMOST CUT
IN TWO.
Marin County's Youthful Highway
men Sends for Sheriff Taylor
and Surrenders Several
Struggled Tools.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


SAN RAFAEL, Jan. 25.-Victor J..
ColWell, the youthful bandit, who held
up the stage running between this city
ana Bolinas last September, came with
In an ace of regaining his liberty and
taking French leave of this community
few nights ago. Saws for cutting
steel We're smuggled in to him by con-
federates, and when he ceased work he
had four bars of the window in his cell
nearly sawed through. A few hours
work wcs all that stood between him
and freedom, but, strange to say. a
debt of gratitude he owed to Will P.
Taylor, the new Sheriff, so preyed upon
his mind that at the last moment he re-
vealed the fact of his intended Jail
break, and handed over his tools to the
officers of the law.
On the 18th of last September Colwell
donr1ed mask and held up the Bolinas
stage near Liberty station. The driver
and six passengers were forced to yield
up their possessions, including several
gold watches and $65 in cash. He was
overtaken on the Greenbrae road two
hours later by Sheriff Harrison and
posse, and all the plunder was found
guilt and said that if it had been any
body but Harrison he would have
fought to the death. The affair Great
ed tremendous sensation on account
of Colwell's youth and the high regard
felt throughout the community for his
family.
In the latter part of December. a few
days before Sheriff Harrison resigned
his office to Taylor, saws were snug
erfc ir,+A Cn1x Ill 6o cra1 70
cut two bars of his cell window almost
through before the change came in the
shrievalty. Since then he has man
aged to sever two more.
A few days ago he sent for Sheriff
Taylor and without a word took that
official to the window and showed him
the work. Then he went to his bunk
and produced the saws with which it
had been done. In reply to the aston
ished Sheriff's inquiry as to why he
had not gone on and made his escape,
Colwell replied:
"Will, you did me a good turn once
and 1 haven't forgotten it. The tempta-
ton was great, but 1 reflected that if
got away at the beginning of your term
it would hurt you in the eyes of the
public. If Harrison had lasted two
days longer nobody around here would
ever have heard of me again."
He was placed in another cell and
the number of those admitted to see
him appreciably reduced. Many believe
Colwell thought he could never get out
of the country and acquainted Taylor
of his intended escape as a kind of
grand stand play" which he thought
would cause Taylor to make a plea
for light sentence from Judge An
gellotti. They base their opinion on the
fact that Colwell tried this game on
Ex-Sheriff Harrison when he was ar
rested by saying that he would have
killed anybody else that had tried to
arrest him. Despite this evidence of
friendship, he admits he would have
made his escape If Harrison had last
ed two days longer"
The youthful highwayman's case
comes UP in court on the 30th inst. 1t
is said he intended to change his plea
to guilty, but Attorney J. w. Cochrane
asserts that his client will now stand
trial