Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-02-13
Charles Tarwater Cuts Hole
in Jail in Endeavor to
Get Away.
WAS VERY NEAR LIBERTY
Taken to County Jail for Safe Keeping
to Await Trial on Charge of Grand
Larceny-Is Serving Term for Va
grancy.

Charles TarWater who was await.
ing trial on charge Of grand larceny,
in the city Jail, made desperate eff
fort to escape last night He succeed
ed in cutting hole through an inside
wall of the structure nearly large
| enough to admit the passage of his be-
| dy, and within ten minutes more time
TO work he would have had it large
enough to crawl through and make
good his escape The presence of
Doc" Heaverin, who was sitting in
the corridor frightened Tarwater from
his work, and kept him from cutting
the one board which was between
himself and freedom, and kept him
quiet until the hole was discovered
this morning by Sergeant Morrisey,
The work was done with large pock-
ct knife, which it is alleged was fur
nished him by Cora Milford yesterday
afternoon. AS soon as Sergeant Nor
rissey discovered Tarwater's attempt
ed escape he placed him in one of the
cages at the city Jail, from which he
was later removed to the county Jail
for safe keeping.
Penitentiary Record.
Tarwater is one of the most notori-
Gus residents of Smoky Row. He has
served one term in the penitentiary.
and innumerable terms in the city and
county jails. He was arrested the
last time Sunday evening on a charge
of stealing wire from the Ottumwa
Traction and Light company. Monday
morning when he was to have been
tried, the police were not quite ready
with their evidence in that case, so
he was arraigned on a charge of va
grancy. He was found guilty on this
fcharges and sentenced to ten days In
). Jail 5
- A Good Case.
Since that time the other case
against him has been worked up until
the police believe they have enough
evidence to send him to the peniten.
tiary again. He was made acquaint
ed with this fact, and he at once be,
gan laying plans to escape. The Null
ford woman is said to be terribly in.
fatuated with him. and visited him ev.
cry day at the Jail. Chief Gray says
she brought him knife yesterday af
ternoon. and last night, he used it to
good advantage.
Cut Through a Wall.
a lining of boiler iron around the in
side about eight feet high. Above
this to the ceiling, distance of about
five feet. is nothing but the bare walls
On the inside of the room next to the
corridor running the entire length Of
!. the hall is thin partition, with al
, inch board on one side of it, and plas
tering on the other. Tarwater frs
cut through this plastering, and the1
attacked the boards on the outside.
Nearly at Liberty.
He had cut through four of these
and as soon as he could cut through
one more he had hole large enough
; to admit his body. About this tim,
however DOC" Heaverin who sleeps
in one of the cages at the Jail, stepped
out into the corridor and sat down b,
) radiator, remaining there for abou
: two hours While Tarwater wa
waiting for Heaverin to get out Of hi
: way he fell asleep and before he awak
| lened, Sergeant Norrissey had discoy
: cred his attempted escape.
Find the Knife.
Morrissey at once took him out O
Jail, and searched him. In the foot O
G one or his stockings was found IN
4 knife with which he had attempted hi
y escape, and this was taken away iron
him before he was placed in the littl
a cage. Tarwater was sorely disal
! pointed man this morning, as he lool
= ed through the small bars of the stee
= cage at the city jail. If | had bee
- given ten minutes more time coul
:. have gained my liberty he said. 9
gave them close race as it was, an
, if old Doc" had not come out in tn
,, corridor and sat down | would hav
= gotten out any way" He continued
= After he was taken to the county iai
:; the city officials requested Sheriff Gre
mer to lock him up in one of the stee
cages and not allow him any visitor!
The officials believe they have
strong case against him, and they
not want to oiyo him anv f,lrther n,