The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-25
REPORT TO-DAY
5
ON J0E'S ESCAPE
Grand Jury VIII Find That a New
Jail is Needed.
GIFTS SENT TO The PRISONER.
officers May BE Ccnsurcu for Dere-
fiction in Not Having Kept
Closer Watch
on "sapiey.''

The grand jury of the Hastings Court
VII to-day resume its investigation of the
escape OF Topeka Joe. and at II o'clock
VIII visit the jail, which Will be most
thoroughly examined as TO its fitness and
general safety. The manner in which
the willy burglar escaped VIII be described
to the jurymeI1, and they will be put in
possession of all facts needed TO aid them
in making their report
The report which VIII be made to Judge
WITT. probably Tuesday night. vii! e!npha-
size most strongly The ueed OF a new JAIL.
modern and up 10 date in every way
IL Will also no doubt. cai attention to
lax methods which have prevailed at the
jail. and advocate an improvement in this
respect.
There is no reason 10 believe that crini-
nal carelessness VIII be charged against
those guards who were on duty when the
man got away.
Indeed, 1t is much more probable that
the city will be severely arTaigned 1or
allowing tumb!e-down, disreputable
building 10 stand ali these years IN
defiance of conmon-ssnse, decency and
humanity.
JOE's IMPLEMENTS.
How Topeka Joe secured the material
from winch he made his graPp{inS-hook
and rope viii probably % as much OF q
mystery after the grand jury reports as
It is al present
a very close examination vas conducted
on these points, but no satisfactory l1ltoE-
nation was elected.
Tho ro,,.. which was sixty feet in length,
was. made from bed-ticlling. 1t was stated
that he had probably gotten hold Of one
of +ha Did ticks which had been hung up
in The jail yard 10 air. The bedclothlnS
of Topeka Joe himself had net been dis
turbed.
The 1loyv-famous key was as every one
knows. 1nad, from the handle OF a broom
Where he secured the knife to cut it with
has been a mystery.
The man had, however, the sturnps. OF
two common case-llniYeS, and the pre-
sumption is that he got them out OF a
tTash-barrel. Both blades were 50 dull,
however. that it is hard TO imagine how
he could have cut the tough wood of the
broom hand.e with them and made such
an excellent job.
Their have bsen many reports of friends
on the outside having aided the man IN his
escape. Up the present nothing mas come
TO the attention OF the grand jury to sus-
tain such a bel3f-
The fact was elected, however. that dur
ing his confinement a piece Of cake had
been given him This incident somewhat
induced The suspicion that some SINAI!
tools Of fine steel might have been con
ccaied in the cake, but such an idea does
not seem altogether reasonable. and Will
probably not figure in the conclusions
reached by the investigators.
Thefe was also some testimony showing
that a woman had figured to some extent
in the prison life Of ice, but there IS no
reason to believe that she was in any way
connected with his escape.
TOO MUCH KINDNESS.
There was evidence adduced to show
that the man had been treated with con-
siderable Kindness during his incarccia-
ton.
For INSTANCE. he desired TO SIND q tele-
gram 10 his brother in Montana lie
wished the message 10 be PAID for at the
other end. but the telegraph company re-
ouired 81 to be deposited at this end TO
protect them IN case the receiver should
not pay. Joe had no money, but one of
the prison officials lent him 81, and the
tel gram WIS sent.
To the credit If the prisoner. it may be
said that he soon after got money from
some source and repaid the dollar.
1t is also true that he borrowed fifty
cents at later date. and this has not
yet been returned. The chances of the
lender OF. recovering the half do not look
very promising.
The lax methods that prevailed at
the jail, as brought out by the grand
jury, are that prisoners known as
TRUSTEES on account of their uniform
good behavior, have been allowed to carry
around tie keys 10 the various interior
departments of the Jail
More serious than this. however, is the
fact that the keys to the outer door have
been allowed 70 hang where any Of these
TRUSTEES" could reach them, and one so
disposed might have turned out num-
her OF The prisoners before being discover
ed.
An interesting and somewhat amusing
fact that came out in the testimony be-
fore the grand jury was that .'trusty''
one day became angered and threw the
main door key. over The wall. 1t was
never found and new one had to be
made The old key is floating around
somewhere still.