The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-09-29
BARNES Is SMOOTH
Train Robber at EddyviIle's Latest
Attempt to Escape.
He Appears to Be Very Innocent and
Inoffensive, But Is
Desperate.
HAS EIGHT YEARS TO SERVE

who two years ago held up an Illinois
Central train near wickliffe, Ballard
county, and secured large sum Of
money is said to be the most inoffen-
sive yet the most ingenius and daring
prisoner in the branch penitentiary at
Eddyville.
Barnes and his brother and = man
named Doyle robbed the train and then
dropped Doyle out into the M ississip-
pi river. He swan ashore, as mad as
he was wet, and "squealed. Charles
Barnes was caught but his brother es-
capped aud shortly after trying to hold
up another Illinois Central train near
Memphis was surrounded by posse
and cut his throat, dying in the
swamp.
Charles Barnes was given ten years
for the job near wickliffe.
Hardly had he learned the way
from the cell house to the dining room
until his inventive brain had concoct.
cd a scheme to empty the institution
Of all the inmates who cared to vacate.
Diligence, however, on the part Of
the prison officials detected crooked
ness in his movements, and before the
attempt was made Barnes was placed
in irons, end, for a time at least,
trouble was ayerted. Good behavior
soon stood the dare devil in good stead
and once the ball and chain were tax
en- of his limbs he set to work on an
other scheme Numerically opposite
to the original, but having for its
primary object the same result-free.
dom. This, too, was intercepted,
and for a second time Barnes was
made painfully aware that q penal
institution might be hkened to Owen
Meredith's description Of hell, mot
what you might suppose; tits worse
in some respects"
His latest scheme, and by far the
most intricate and daring, has just
been brought to the attention of the
prison officials.
Barnes is leased to the Tennessee
Saddle and Harness company, and as
the managers have separate manufao-
turing establishments, he is some.
times sent from one building to anoth.
err, end is thus from under the obser.
walton of the guard.
This opportunity was the one chance
for freedom, and subsequent events
proved how well he improved it. The
prison cells contain a bucket cham
Der ten by twelve inches, drilled in
solid stone, lined with steel, and
made TO close with trap door of iron.
The desperate man set to work with
tools obtained from the blacksmith
shop during the brief intervals given
him to go from one building to anoth-
er, and after working patiently for
months, succeeded In drilling the steel
back from the chamber This done,
he worked, when an opportunity for
work was given him, on the stone
wall, ana gradually dug two feet in
the stone with no other tools save
small chisel and hammer. Only three
inches Of stone remained between the |
dangerous criminal and the tunnel
when an investigation of his cell was
made. Numerous times had the trap
door been lifted and a careful inspec-
tion Of the chamber made, but in this
particular Barnes had thrown all Of
his cunning by preparing false back,
exactly like the real one, which fitted
so neatly that the hair of ones head
could not have found room between
the space.
Had the tunnel been reached the
route Of the man would have been as
easy as an open highway, and by fol.
lowing the underground path be
would have gained access to the cell
house, where by Draining the night
guard he could have secured weap-
ON without the least possible noise,
and, thus equipped. would have been
in position to kill or defy the gusrd
on duty in dollhouse No, 1. The
death Of the two night guards would
have made Barnes master of the stu
alton, and what might have resulted
before finally quitting the place can
only be oonjeotured.
HELD OVER FOR TRESPASS.
County Judge Lightfoot, in the case