The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-07-25

Of the lock. and as soon as it Was
done they broke the lock from the
other end of the shackle by prying
it backward. With the lock off the
iron door was pushed open. One d
the blankets on the bed was II feet,
long. This was tied in single
knot to one of the iron bars in the
window, and down this the prison
ers evidently slid to within eight
feet Of the ground, jumped and
made their escape.
The Jail breaking was not dis.
covered until Thursday morning.
when Jailor Byram went on his
usual round of the jail. AS soon as
he observed what had happened be
sent for Deputy Malcolm Mclean.
Sheriff Pease had gone to his farm
the day before and had remained
there over night. The two officials
decided to keep the matter quiet un-'
til he was informed. Mr.. Pease
was notified, returned to the city at
once, and after Investigating the
matter, sent out telephone and pos
tai card information regarding the
breaking.
Mr.. Byram first concluded that
the prisoners were assisted from
the outside, and pointed to the fact
that partly, covered buggy tracks
and imprints OF horse hoofs were
visible in the alley back of the Jail
the next morning. His theory is
on the line that the saving of the
lock was done from the outside.
But on closer inspection by Sher-
if Pease, the mode OF escape was
plainly apparent. One Of the pris-
oners had arranged his cot in the
cell so as to give it the appearance
of some one sleeping in it. Socks
protruded from the end of the blank
ct at the foot of the cot. even. The
prisoner then placed himself in hid
ing, probably on top of the cells.
At nine clock the jailor took his
usual walk around the corridor,
. looked into the cells, with the as.
sistance of dim kerosene lamp, and
in each cell seeing what he suppos-
ed to be the form of prisoner, he
locked the doors, and went down
stairs
It is probable that Mr.. Byram
had no more than turned his back
on the corridor door than did the
prisoner in hiding come out of his
hiding place, turn the keys that
opened the doors of the cells Of his
comrades, and then the three COM
menced work on the window.
In order to deaden the sound of
saving the lock shackle the prison
ers used quilts on the floor and ap-
parently wrapped quilt around
the place where they were work
Y ing. Begler, in the female cell,
claimed that he never heard any
thing during the night. The saw
must have been passed in to them
by visitors.
The night was very favorable for
the work of the prisoners. It, was
| cloudy and very dark and after mid
night the wind blew, the thunder
roared and the rain fell.
! An unsuccessful attempt to break
Jail was made on the first floor of
the Jail several months ago, by dig
ging through the wall. The pris-
oners got all but one tier. of brick
out when they were locked up in
their cells, but it was not until the
next morning that the attempt was
discovered.
Trace Of Wenholz was secured on
Saturday. He was four miles north
of Lamberton, and he stopped at a
farm house to ask for something to
eat. The farmer had heard of the
escape and drove into Lamberton to
notify the authorities. This was
about six o clock. When the party
returned Wenholz was in the under
brush Of the Cottonwood valley, and
darkness came on and assisted ID
his escape. The authorities all
along the line were notified to keep
a lookout for him, but nothing had
been reported up to Monday morn
ing. Wenholz, by virtue Of being
mute, is what rogues call spot