The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1901-08-15


Silas sat in prison cell and sang songs
until an Unseen power caused the doors
to swing outward and the shackles to fall
from their limbs, terrifying the taller
until he would have killed himself had
not Paul called out. "Do thyself no harm;
we are here" But it will be long time
before the modern jailer at the county
bastile can forget the "cold chills' that
played up and down his spinal column
when he awoke from night of peaceful
s'umber on downy bed at the county
hosiery and found some of the doors
wide open and hole in the wall that
looked like Admiral Dewey had trained
the whole Manila fleet upon that side of
the great steel box, firmly set upon land
owned by Nez Peice county
There were only five prisoners who es-
capped and three ''who would not care to
stay Away" remained to console the
jailer. The fellows at liberty are bad
lot and while in Jail had nothing to do
but plan escape. That they planned we'll
and wisely none will dispute
To render effective the plans laid re-
CURED time. The work with single
drill tool to cut over 100 holes through
case hardened steel, hree-eights of an
inch thick, could scarcely have been ac-
complished in less than month, under
the circumstances. The hole made was
eighteen inches square.
For many days blanket had hung be-
tween the place where the opening was
made and the peep-hole where the jailer
usually takes observations of the doings
of the prisoners. All the time the blanket
was up work was in progress, and, the
jailer not having the power of second
sight, failed to detect what was being
done. When hole was cut it was clum-
silly plugged up with iron filings and to-
bacco ashes, forming but little harmony
with the lead-colored cell house.
When the master mechanic inspected
the work on the hole in the cell house
he passed it as 6rst-class. He then or
dered his crew of steel workers to begin
work elsewhere. This they did. regard
less Of the great steel strike. They took
the drill aud bored off the lock on the
steel door of the cage. This must have
been done, in part, before they were put
in for the night. for it would require sew
eral hours to do the work. When the
lock was cut large steel clevice was still
between the prisoners and liberty. This
alone required two hours time, according
to the story of the prisoners who did not
care to 60 out into the great busy world
until they told the keeper '.how it hap
pened."
One Of the prisoners peddled hop
dream to the troubled jailer. He stated
that he was awakened by the noise Of
number of horsemen outside of the Jail,
who talked with the prisoners on
the inside while the saving was going
on, and also that the horsemen supplied
the prisoners with arms. The men who
did the work, it is said were Payne and
Mox Mox. The latter is an Indian.
Payre is the fellow called "crazy car
penter'' and his eccentricities were
probably affected, to enable him to
ward off suspicion if fou.,d in. places
where prisoners should not be.
Those who escaped and the crime with
which they were charged are as follows:
John Rean,er. cattle stealing; Frank
Smith, cattle stealing; Charles Smith,
cattle stealing; Charley Payne, burglary;
Mox Mox. selling liquor to Indians.
NJ. Brockway, charged with robbery,