The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-12-31
DUG THROUGH JAIL WALL AND
ESCAPED.
EMPLOYED AN OLD DEVICE
Boy Horsethief and Alleged Burglar
Once More Roaming the
Prairles.

From Sundays Daily Gazette
When Jailer Robbins turned the
keys of the county Jail for the last
time last Friday night he believed
all his boarders were in their usual
places and felt that everything was
safe and secure. Consequently he was
greatly surprised when he found a
hole in the wall yesterday morning
and two Of his prisoners gone. The
device employed by the missing ones
vas old, but proved none the less
effective.
Friday night, in accordance with
his usual custom, Mr.. Robbins pro-
ceeded tc lock up the prisoners for
the night. Instead of making a close
inspection of each separate cell to
see that it's occupants were within,
he made count of the inmates of the
Jail and contented himself with mere
ly looking into the cells from where
he stood. The one occupied by Alonzo
Kilby, held on the charge Of rob-
bling a sheep samp on the Mussel-
shell, and Roy Huffman, the boy
h%orsethief, apparently showed the
two lying on their bunk and seeming
ly asleep. Yesterday morning they
APPEARED to be still sleeping when
the time had arrived to serve break
fast, but instead of themselves that
lay so quiet, Mr.. Robbins discovered
two artfully conceived dummies,
while the real persons they represent
ed had disappeared. The hole in the
wall showed their mode of egress from
the building.
The explanation of the delivery is
a simple one. Before the time for
locking up had arrived Kilby and the
boy rugged up the dummies and plac-
ed them in their bunk. Then they hid
themselves behind the walls of the
cell room and waited. Seeing what
appeared to be persons occupying the
bunk, the jailer was satisfied and af-
ter locking the cells and outer door
left the Jail. Sometime during the
night the two prisoners with the aid
of a case knife easily dug a hole
through the brick wall which alone
stood between them and freedom and
crawled out.
Once outside they went to the barn
of Theodore Fenske, who lives across
the street from the Jail, and stole his
horse. This they mounted and struck
out in the direction of the Musselshell,
as was evidenced by the fact that
efforts were made by the sheriff
telephone the news of the escape
points along that road he found
wire cut. Subsequently the place
where the wire was down was found /
about nine miles from the city. Here /
fugitives had evidently made
camp, for they had built a fire to warm
Their route from that |
point is only a matter of conjecture,
nobody had been found up to last
evening who had seen them.
I
1t was about 9 O'Clock yesterday
morning before the discovery of their
escape was made, consequently the
had had almost 10 hours in
which to put distance between them
selves and their late quarters.
Information of the delivery has
oeen sent in all direction, in addition
o which Under Sheriff Sayles and
Deputy Harding and several special
have gone in search of the
ugitives. Sheriff Hubbard offers a re-
ward of $50 for each of the prisoners
If whom the following is a descrip-
ion:
Alonzo Kilby-Height five feet II
inches; brown eyes; dark brown hair:
weight about 10 pounds.
Roy Huffman-Age II years; height
feet seven inches; brown eyes;
brown hair; weight 76 pounds.
The horse they stole is a dark bay.
Weighs about 1000 pounds; is brand
ID &c on left thigh and &c on neck;
vas newly shod all around.