The sun., 1902-10-17
WOULD KILL TO BREAK JAIL.
NENET. "THE LOCkER," MA0E 1
KNIFE FROM (OT'S SPRING.
lsed u small thisci 10 cut a Way 10 the
Lock of His tcil-Nlctor ItugOs Des.
pcraie Criminals OutdOne In Ing cn,iIty
by a burglar In Queens County Jan.

When Ernest Menet, the leader of the
Buckley street gang of burglars. was de-
tected in his second attempt to cut his way
out of the Queens County Jail he declared
10 Sheriff De Bragga that he would not re-
main III the Jail two days after being CON
victed Last night was the second after
his conviction, and early in the evening
Mcnct was completing his preparations
20 depart. He spent the rest of the night
in "A cell, in front of which rat deputy
sheriff armed with double-harreled shot
gun, which he has Instructions TO Use If
need bc. Monct will be sentenced this
morning and then taken TO Sing Sing or
Dannemora
After he was convicted Menet's quarters
were ehitted to "A cell on the top floor of the
Administration Building of the Jail. He
was locked in an isolated cell. Last even
ing one of the jailers heard a scraping noise
III that section and at once summoned Sheriff
De Braggd. Menet was taken from the
cell and stripped. In one of his vest pockets
was found "A small steel chisel II is bc-
,eyed to he one of the little wed ges with
which safe breakers force the doors OF
safes. Back of the lock on the door of his
cell is a steel plate into which slit had been
cut with either the Chsel or raw which
has not been found. While searching the
cell for the saw the Sheriff found knife
The knife is twelve inches long and one
and quarter inches wide. with an edge
like razor aud point like a needle. He
had made it from a spring of his cot and
1t had been finely tempered. How the tenn
pering was done the Sheriff, who is himself
| an expert worker in fine steel. says he can
hardly imagine. He thinks the heating
was done by friction on tho st one floor and
then plunging il into the slop basin. The
cell has no gas which could have been used
| 10 obtain the heat.
/, is believed that Menet intended 20 pass
out Of the cell, as he could easily have done
with the back plate split. summon a keeper
and stab him, take his keys and make his
way out, fighting if needful.
Menet admit, ed M his trial that ho had
served three years in France for counter
| feiting He has served time in his country
as we'll He is n dangerous character
| No lock seems to puzzle him if no can have
few hours to work lit, Among criminals
| he i known as The Locker" because Of
his ability TO force locks. A bali Of cord
evidently scraps picked up in the Jail. and
| n piece of cloth were found in the cell
They were to furnish material for a handle
| for the knife.
After dressing Menet in an old jumper
and overalls the Sheriff removed him to
| a cell in the main jail. He then sent out
| and purchased a complicated Yale lock
| and a piece Of chilled steel chain. With
these Menets door WAS fastened. Then
the armed guard was stationed in front of
| the cell.
Menet raved and swore at the Sheriff
| He refused 10 tell where the saw is he is
| believed to have hidden He will be taken
| into court this morning in irons. At the
same time Harry Clare and Edward Flanna-
| gan, the other members of the gang, will
be sentenced Menet and Clare are likely
| 20 be sent TO prison for forty years. as bot h
are second offenders. Flanagan will
escape more lightly. as it is his first con-
viction and he entered plea Of guilty q
second degree burglary. Menet and Clare
were convicted in the major degree,