Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-02-28
A BOLD ATTEMPT
TO BREAK JAIL.

That the old rookery called the Salt
Lake Jail is entirely inadequate for the
purpose 1t was intended was forcibly
illustrated between ~ and 1880 o'clock
this morning when bold attempt at
Jail breaking was made and would have
been successful but for the failure OF
outside conflderates to do their part In
the scheme Those who did the work
were James Wilson alias Charles Read.
ex-convlct and Jail breaker from Mis-
souri,, Chas. II. McGinnis, who Is serv-
ing 100 days sentence for asslulting
a blond with a brunett reputation, and
Louis johnson, who is doing time for
escaping from the old bastiie.
WHAT CANNON DISCOVERED
About o'clock this morning Night
Patrol Driver Marcena Cannon had oc-
caslon to enter the jail He found the
prisoners in cell No. wide awake and
moving about. lie suspected something
was wrong and concluded 10 invesu-
gate. In cell No. | there are six inner
cells provided with iron hunks. The
iron doors 10 these inner cells are hung
so that they can easily be lifted from
the hinges When officer Cannon en-
tered the main part OF the cell he
found that two Of the prisoners had
taken enc OF the heavy iron doors nom
lis hinges-and by constant pounding
had dlslocated one OF the iiagstones
making an aperture In the floor two
feet square and nearly three feet deep.
THE OLD. OLD WAY,
In the floor OF the main corridor OF
the iall there Is trap door that opens
TO the sewer beneath the building.
From this hole there Is a tunnel which
was bored three years ego by Holden
OConnor and two other crooks when
they made their escape. The tunnel
rms under the floor OF closet al the
south end OF the building. When the
nagstone was removed the prisoners In
cell No ! could easily crawl under the
trap door under the main corridor and
into the tunnel
NEARLY EVERYTHING ROTTEN.
The prisoners had but little trouble
this morning in dislodging the flagstone
for II was only supported by two thin
planks, which were rotten at each
end. To pry other stones out Of place
would require but few moments labor
II Is the simplest thing In the world for
confederates 10 supply prisoners with
small saws--and with these they cut
the rotten iron strips from the hunks
and use them for levers. saws are
passed into the prison by being fastened
| A. Ia val Harh
the upper iron barred windows.
HOW CoNFEDERATEs WORK.
As already stated. there Is a closet in
the south end OF the 'Jail' 20 which
TRUSTEES, dodgers. and. In fact, any one
| who cares 10, can have access al any
| hour during day or night, and moth
| ing II thought Of Il. once the floor OF
the closet is torn up. the way 10 liber-
" FOR the prisoners, who can reach the
tunnel. is clear
For some cause the prisoners pals
on the outside-falled 10 tear up the
floor al the appointed time this morn.
ing, and thus wholesale tall" de-
livery was prevented
THE OLD BUNK HOUSE.
There's an old shack east OF the ojail~
called the bunk house" where the
Weary Willies' and the "Tattered aud
| Torn Fraternity are wont 20 WOO the
goddess OF slumber. The element that
are termed dodgers consist Of hob0s
and criminals OF the worst type. They
come ana 80 10 the bunk house at will
I IL is impossible 10 keep the place locked
az night for when the door Is closed.
all means o. ventilation Is cut on
It's all wrong TO permit tramps 10