The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-08-15
JAIL DELIVERY.
Diamond Nipper' Harry Davis
Saws Way From Court House.

There has been another delivery
from the Jail in the basement of the
court house. Harry Davis, the
diamond nipper," who stole a
diamond stud from Chas. McCulloch
at the fair grounds during the Elk
races in this city, sawed his way to
freedom and, unmolested, leisurely
walked down the street to a safe
distance from the place of his exit
and then sprinted out Of sight. Lee
Dickerson the colored house breaker,
was about to follow but Davis was
seen and the appearance of persons
at the scene of the trouble quickly
set his plans at naught.
Davis and most likely Dickerson
also have been planning to escape
for some little time. Davis was the
planner and principle worker and
Dickerson assisted in the work of
cutting out. Saws were secured in
some manner, probably passed to
the prisoners from the outside. With
these the paddock that secured the
door to the passage way by the base
ment windows was released and the
fellows had access to the window
gratings which were little better than
soft iron. Davis here sawed off three
of the bars of the middle window at
the bottom. The middle one of the
three bars was pulled out to release
the bottom and then it was pulled
from its place in the window. With
this free bar the two bars at the sides
were pried apart so as to permit the
passage of a mans body. The window
was then raised and the metal netting
on the exterior was sawed at right
angles making a three cornered rent
of sufficient size to allow Davis to get
out.
Walter Evans vas standing at the
northwest corner of the court house
about half past eight O'Clock waiting
for a sack of pop orn that vas being
prepared for him by Jos. Fisher at
the pop corn stand. He heard the
sharp sound of breaking glass and
looking in the direction of the sound
was surprised tosee a fellow poke
his feet from a window of the Jail
basement. Next followed the body
and the shoulders of a man. He
jumped to the sidewalk and looked
back into the window and seemed to
be putting a bundle down into the
JAIL. At least this was the impress
sion that young Evans received of
the fellows actions. He did not for a
moment suppose that he was a wit
ness to a Jail delivery. The escaped
prisoner leisurely Strengthened him
self up, brushed off his clothes,
glanced at the pop corn stand a few
yards distant and seeing Walter
watching him nodded pleasantly and
bowed. He then turned on his heel
and walked slowly east to the alley
between the new jail and the court
house and here took to his heels for a
sprint to the south and thus made
good his escape.
Evans ran to the front of the court
house where he..found Deputy Sheriff.
Fry and Turnkey Gus Drinkle and
bis brother, Button" Drinkle sitting.
He informed the trio of what he had
just seen. Gus Drinkle ran to the
north side of the building from where
the prisoner had escaped and was
just in time to prevent the escape of
Dickerson who was ready to follow
in the tracks of Davis. Will Drinkle
hurried to the Neagle Grocery where
Sheriff. Cricket was standing.
Cricket crossed the street to meet
Drinkle and soon was in the Jail to
investigate. The situation above des-
cribed was discovered.
The fellows had planned their es-
cape we'll for in a few moments more
all the prisoners wouldi have been
locked in their cells for the night.
During the day time and until be-
tween eight and nine o'clockIat night
the prisoners are allowed the use of
the corridors. For in this is situated
the toilet arrangements afforded by
the jail and in this is the only
chance for exercise that a prisoner
has. The saving of the bars has
evidently been done some time dur
ing the day time and the chance of
escape taken at the last minute. 1t
is not very dark at half past eight
and as a general thing the street at
this point is more or less crowded,
and in addition to this the place is in
the full glare of ar electric light. The
mai was desperate and was taking
some big chances but he ventured
and won his freedom. His boldness
and consummate GOODNESS and the
ease with which he cut his way to
freedom is the wonder of all.
The escape was also witnessed by
Harry Regain and Eddie Duffy who
were standing on an opposite corner.
The thing occurred so quickly that
there was not time for action before
the fellow was gone.
Harry Davis, the escaped prisoner,
must have been in desperate frame
of mind and determined to escape,
mi