Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-02-15
PRISONERS BREAK jAL
Two Desperate Criminals Es-
cape From the County Jail
at Mason City.
Clever Method Used to I'm
lock the Door Of Their
Cell.
Both Men Bad Characters and
We're Arrested at White.
more.
Special to Times Republican.

y
Mason City, Feb. 15.-The escape Of
two prisoners. the most desperate Grim
mails in the Jail here, Wednesday eve
ming has caused considerable excite
sment. The two men were Frank BY
and James Crolan, and they We're
brought here from Kossuth county,
where, at Whittemore in January, they
had broken into a creamery. They We're
discovered in the act of stealing butter
by the marshal of Whittemore
He had one of them under arrest and
was taking him to the lookup when the
second one came up and dealt the mar
shall such a furious blow over the head
that he was stunned. And then, to add
TO their vicious career. they put hum in
the lookup and set fire to it, with the
levident intention Of burning him to-
death. The marshal recovered in time
Ito get out of the burning building. The
terminals lit out, but the morning fol-
lowing they We're picked up az they
We're leaving town. The fellows were of
| ouch desperate character that to be sure
of their safe Keeping they We're brought
1 to this city and given over into the GUS
tody of Sheriff Confer. Confer under
stood the nature of the men and put
them into cell in the upper corridor of
1.-THE jail. They have been in his custody
bsInce Jan. 4. They have been fairly
dwell behaved prisoners, but they We're
given no privileges and We're confind
4 closely to the upper corridor About s
lo'clock "Wednesday evening supper was
served them by Deputy Clark, and When
i the dishes We're taken away he saw that
both of them We're properly in their cell,
1.-THE biz. door shut and the lever properly
4 plugged. The criminals had already pre-
pared for swift business. They had Sc
|scurad a steel wire which was used in
/ fastening up the stove pipe. This they
had wound With leather and thread
which they had secured, cutting the
was bent and run thru the hole and
4 leather from their shoes and getting the
4 thread for sewing purposes The Wire
4 was wrapped TO prevent any noise.
4 About two feet above the plug TO the
A door OF the cell is an opening. The wire
+ was bend and run thru the hole and
d down beneath the plug. and by sud-
! Iden Jerk the plug was thrown from the
4 hole and the lever liberated. This gave
W lt1ty
4 knew that Deputy Clark always came
into the jail at about $3.50 to fix the fire
4 for the night. The prisoners secreted
themselves behind the big door awaiting
MIG arrival. Az soon as he opened TIL,
). door they grabbed him. giving him
!, fling back and both jumped out. closing
y the door and locking the deputy n.s
The description Of the men is as fol.
lows:
Frank Bly,: Height feet III inches
weight 100 pounds; light complexion
4, sandy beard. blue eyes, index finger o.
eft hand off between second and .laire
joints; no oyercoat nor overshoes
James G'rolan: Height 5 feet s inches
heavy set. dark complexion, weight ISL
pounds. fun dark beard. dark eyes, darl
. clothes.
reward Of $50 is offered by Sheriff
s Confer for the arrest of the escaped
prisoners This will be increased un
doubtedly by the kossuth officials.