The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-16
DESPERATE WORK
TEN PRISONERS NEARLY ESCAPE
FROM THE COUNTY JAIL.
MAN-SLAUGHTER FELKER OUT
Half Way Down Rope When Stopped
by Deputy Sheriff Fitzsimmcns-
Sawed Through Steel Stats
and Bars.

and Bars.
Deputy Sheriff Fitzsimmons is the hero
of sensational attempt at a Jail break
at the county Jail on Saturday night.
Through his GOODNESS and determine
ton as pretty a scheme as could be de-
vised to liberate II whole corridor of pris-
Oners was stopped at the OutgO without
either bloodshed or trouble.
Also it is fortunate thing that Fitz-
simmons is a man Of good nerve. or else
Felker, the leader of the attempt to
break Jail, would, probably. now be oc-
cupying slab in an undertaker's room.
Felker was caught by the officer in the
act of sliding down a rope on the outside
of the jail, and he tried every way to get
an opening that would enable him to
grapple with the officer.
But Fitzsimmons coolly kept him at
arms length under the cover of his re-
volver, and walked him back into the
Jail.
Convicted of Manslaughter.
Felker killed his brother-in-law. ]. v.
Cunningham, and was convicted of man.
slaughter for the crime. and he has
shown himself to be a desperate char
acter in the estimation Of the jailers and
the officers in the sheriff's office who
have had him in their keeping
They have not the least doubt that he
would have taken the most desperate
chances with Fitzsimmons il there had
been the slightest opening for him after
his discovery in the act of quitting the
Jail on the rope provided for the pur-
pose.
Felker sawed his way through the roof
of the sheet iron cage that incloses the
four tiers of cells in the county Jail, and
then sawed his way through the steel
bars of a window in the wall of the
building.
Done With Steel Saw.
The saving was done with steel saw,
aided by punch and some sulphuric
acid and the rope which hung from the
window was made from grey blankets
braided with three strands, and was
thick and strong.
He was half way down the rope when
discovered, and the other prisoners were
clustered at the open window preparing
to follow him.
His discovery may be put down to the
best of good fortune, for if the deputy
sheriff had not been just where he was
Just at the nick of time the plans of
Felker and his fellows would have
worked like charm.
When Felker had got half way down
the rope the officer came around the
court house into the Jail yard directly
under the broken window.
The corridor in which Felker was con-
fined is the upper of the two on the east
side of the Jail room.
The window, the bars of which were
cut out, looks down on the Jail yard on
the east side of the court house at the
rear. Across the yard in the northeast
corner is the sheriff's stable. and Fitz-
simmons was bound for that to care for
the sheriff's horse.
Far Above the Ground.
The window through which Fe'ker
made his egress is about IS feet above
the ground on the second floor of the
iail. The attempted break was made at
about 1880 O'Clock Saturday evening, and
it was dark in the jail.
But the officer saw the man on the
rope at once, and he instantly realized
the situation. So he covered Felker with
his revolver in a second, and commanded
him to come down.
At the window above. the deputy
sheriff could see another prisoner, VINO
was there to follow Felker. no doubt, but
it was too dark to recognize the man.
The officer emphasized his command
to Felker with threat to shoot him If
he did not instantly obey. Felker, at
first, replied recklessly to the officer to
shoot if he wished. But he recovered his
wits at once, and then he wanted to go
back into the jail.
The deputy sheriff refused to permit
that however, and it was we'll that he
did, probably, for Felker's confederates
had a loaded revolver among them, and
the Jail officers have no doubt that had
Felker been allowed to go back he would
have secured that and made fight.
Officers Do Not Know.
Why he did not have the pistol on his
person when he descended the rope Is
not known. The pistol was found in his
cell after his capture, and neither he nor
any of the other prisoners would say a
word about it or the attempt to break
from JAIL 1t is a H.40 revolver, and had
all the chambers loaded.
| After Felker reached the ground. he
tried cunning in order to get close to
Fitzsimmons He wanted to shake
hands and make up with the latter.
But the officer kept the pistol on him
and ordered him to march. Next, he
wanted to wash his hands in the snow.
This was another subterfuge. He man.
ifestly wanted to get Fitzstrnmons off
his guard and throw snow in his face
or do something of the sort.
But the latter was too cool and watch
full, and though Felker tried to turn
around and talk to him, he marched him
around the building at the rear and into
the courthouse 10y the west door.
Fellser is considered desperate man.
and the sheriff's men were saying today
that it was lucky for him he had not
~ Scores of
EN aides