The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-07
Notorious Bill Tackett Again
Behind Prison Bars.
SAWED OUT OF COUNTY JAIL
Seven Desperate Characters
Escaped With Him.

Sheriff simmons yesterday and conveyed
the information that one of the most no
torious burglars, horse thieves and jail
breakers in THIS section IS again under
lock and key. sherin Simmons wired
Immediately that he would leave on the
first train to bring the prisoner back to
wichita
A year ago last February Wichita was
startled one morning by the announce
ment that there had been a wholesale
delivery Of prisoners at the county jail,
and that several Of them were Of the
most hardened type and had received long
sentences. In all eight prisoners had
made their escape. among them being
Ed stuart, who had received a fifty years
sentence for murder: Albert Adams. a
United States prisoner; Harry Alley con
victed Of burglary receiving sentence
of six years; Jim Robinson. under SIX
years sentence for the same ofense;
Charles Howard, jim Murphy and BIZ
Rose. all of them under eighteen months
sentences for grand larceny.
The leader IN the delivery was Bill
Tackett. He had been convicted Of
grand larceny and burglary and was in
jail awaiting what he expected to be
long sentence TO the penitentiary at
Lansing.
Tackett and soma twelve other prison
ers were confined in what are called the
rotary cells at the jaiL In order to make
his escape from the cell it was neces-
-srrr Gva steal
/ The rotary cells are so styled from the
fact that they revolve upon a pivot with
/ in a circle Of iron bars. There is only
1 one opening and as soon as cell is oc-
cupied the cage IS revolved until the
next cell appears. and 50 on.
After Tackett had succeeded in getting
into the cell room he st1n was COM
PEELED to force the iron bars at the win
dow. The task of saving the steel locks
mad taxed his strength to such an ex-
tent that be was unable of his own ac-
cord to force the window bars Accord
ingIy he liberated seven other prisoners
and would have given all their freedom
but for the fact that the machinery Of
the cells had become clogged and four
convicts were forced to remain.
With the assistance Of the seven It
was only a question of a few minutes bs-
fore the last barrier to freedom had been
removed.
1t was 5 O'clock on the 1st day Of Feb
ruary 1899. and a bitterly cold morning
when the eight prisoners escaped. Their
absence was not noted until several
hours later.
The alarm was sounded and the coun-
try was secured for the escaped prison
ers. but they could nowhere be found.
Later In the day, Albert Adams, Harry
Alley. Charles Howard and Jim Robin
son returned to the jail and surrendered.
They stated that they had nowhere to
go because they were afraid Of again be-
Ing captured. The cold was too severe
for them, however, and at last they de-
cided to give themselves up.
Until this day nothing has been heard
from Ed Stuart, who was convicted Of
murder
Some time after the fail break Sheriff
Simmons got a clew that led him into
the territory in search Of Tackett. He
had been informed that Tackett and the
notorious Sol Temple for whose capture
dead or alive, there is a reward of 500
offered. had been seen at Pond Creek
0. T They were stopping at the home
OF Temples brother. Before Sheriff
Simmons arrived the sheriff Of that
county went to make the arrest. The
brother denied that the two men were Al
his home The officer however. inisted
upon searching the house. just as Id
opened the front door. he was met By
the two men, each holding a brace Of
revolvers Temples brother and Ia.
sheriff were forced into a dugout and
locked uD. while the two desperadoe'
made good their escape. When Sheriff
simmons arrived his man was gona He
followed him all over this state an
Oklahoma territory and then FOR a Ions
time he heard no more OF him
About six months ago Sheriff Simmons
obtained the information that mar
answering the description of "Btll
Tackett had been sentenced 20 the Ian
sing prison from Cleveland county. o. r.
under the name Of Henry Johnson. ~
, went 10 the peaiteuhary 20 investigate
the clew ana there found TacketL
The latter was dumfounded when b
saw the plucky sheriff Il sedgWick. BIZ
be did not attempt 70 conceal HIS f5en
tity, but gave IN detail the story q hi
escape from the sgdgwick county jail
he stiu had three months q his tenn q
serve The warden AZ the prison IA
requested 20 wire Sheriff Simmons Jus
prior 20 the expiration II The term.
one night about three months aEo n
3 sheriff was wired that Tackert would ,
released the following morninz. nner'
= simmons Immediately eft II Las ~
. but through some ulsun9srs ansln
( Tackett had bee1 liberated sb1ut hair a
: hour before the arrival CT Shelf s.n
o ratus
when the latter hea-s % rf-Es f.c- p
charrfn may better be imagined than 90
szne5 he azu more determined thai
ever however. 70 eaten tfs nsn De f7l
l-wed cfew ar.er clew. bat Tzckett czsa
rot - located Urtl the mesa -e lulro
8ucinE tha article WIS recaiv~s bT hiu
yesterday. Tacketf wl1 - h~ouga. hac'
70 thIs city and wu fhea bs seateace1 Z
louE term 81 TIE state pr.son.
Tackstt uan aor1 ard rassed =
: s-musr comv ahoat th.rtF-sight year.
4. src ard rearlv twe-tztr5a - afs ife "a
, hcen beh1z1 1-su bara lie one &
ne uet DESPERATE hsrse ffssTeF tha
ever operated Fl tHa secro- IEs C.
: EEh-s il stealing haTee Hgh- fy1n
gz1e- its crners zose an8 thsu csl1s
6 90 2 e. so-e aea-ag s-abia He e
ea-Es-o-s nan 81 large an4 sHs cfs-s1
are pleased 81 bar fAaf - s. cree r-e~
bshrs a-r a@- Win re prospects 81
reuesnszz mere - sore rsarn 70 sa=s
KIt esrzs = Dgsea.~.