The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-20
ESCAPE FROM
ISLAND PRISON
Government Penitentiary COnyicf,
Carry Out Daring Plans.
AWAY FROM THE MAINLAND
THE PENAL INSTITUTION IS AN
ISOLATED PLACE.
AWAY FROM THE MAINLAND

Tacoma, Wash, Jan. Ig-Efarer .-
the most desperate prisoners f- he
United states penIteutiary on N.Na--s
island made their escape between .-T
I : O'Clock Sunday and up to a late nom
tonight were still AT liberty r. r-g.
the most daring and Successful In
break ever attempted in this state. and
the character of the men iwrrf-a-zF
makes IL doubtful whether they NM
be retaken without the loss of Tfl.
Z The men at large are ". ID. ~--H--
/ sent up from Idaho for robbery flames
Campbell Nome. piCk-pOcket- Trn--a.
Morton, Nome, burglary, Frank Aims
worth. Nome, larceny, Mike William.
Spokane, cOUnterfeiter; Harry Davis
Nome, Alaska; Frank Moran r--s
name Ed O'Nei, Spokane. c0uut-rs-fr-
er; James Moriarlty, Spokane. counter
felter; J. P Stewart, Idaho. eour+---
feiter, Bruce Kenwright. Nome. man
slaughter; James Carroll, Alaska
murder.
a hole in the brick wall of cell vo
10, occupied by COnvicus Snyder and
Davis. reveals the method of eseara-
The wall is about a foot I'm thickness
and the floor Of the cell IS of -rrar
thickness, covered with concrete. Tn.
tunnel was dug al the junction of rr.
until it formed a connection with the
air chamber about two feet below and
a foot Outwardly from the corridor
wall Of the cell. Through this air
chamber the prisoners CfaWled about
forty feet to where il opened into the
boiler room, the opening being coy
cred by an iron grating.
This obstacle was overcome by the
use OF saws. and the prisoners had
then only to walk out of the back door
of the boiler room across the yard and
scale the board fence a few yards
from the prison grounds and the dense
growth Of timber afforded them tenn
porarily a safe retreat.
The prisoners took advantage Of the
latitude allowed them during the din
ner hour to cOnsummate their plans.
which had been carefully designed and
boldly executed. The guards. with the
exception of two, who were on duty on
the wall overlooking the corridor. were
eating dinner in the dining room
The tables were being spread in the
corridor for the prisoners dinner. it
being customary to serve them imme-
diately on the conclusion of the
guards repast. A dinner gang was AT
work putting the tables in order. and
the other cOnvicts had the privilege of
the GUILluDLn- OLc DL one lLe men
slipped into cell No. 10 and crawled
through the hole UnnOticed- When the
guards came out and lined the prison
ers up for dinner, eleven were missing.
A brief search resulted in finding the
hole in the wall. and the guards at
once ran 10 the boiler room, where the
steel door swung on its hinges. show
ing that the men had already flown.
Warden Palmer does not think 10
possible the prisoners secured more
than fifteen or twenty inmates the
start of them He at once sent a
squad of guards in pursuit, and made
a tour of the island, notifying the
farmers Of the escape and instructing
them to guard their boats carefully
so that no opportunity would be al
lowed for escape. Marshal Ide and
Warden Palmer are eXerting all their
efforts To establish a perfect Gordon
around the boats. believing that If they
can prevent the prisoners leaving the
island under cover Of darkness they
viii be able 70 retake them tomorrow
With two launches. three row boats
and thirty men guarding the shore
line. il is believed by the officers that
if the men were still on the island at
g O'Clock last night their escape VIII
be blocked.