The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-01-24
ELEVEN DESPERATE MEN,
They Make q Clever Escape From
the United States Prison on
McNeil's Island, Wash.
The GUARDS WERE NEATLY HOODWINKED
IL 10 Believed. From the Character
0f the Men. that Their Recapsure
viii Involve some Desperate
Fighting. Particularly II They
succeed In s~curing some Arms.

Tacoma. Wash. Jan. 2i--Eleyen Of
the most desperate prisoners in the
United States penitentiary on Nc
Neil's island made their escape be-
tween one and two o'clock sunday
afternoon.
1t was the most daring and success.
full jail break ever attempted in this
state. and the character of the men
implicated makes il doubtful wheth-
err they will be retaken without .
loss OF life. The men are:
W. ID. Snyder. sent up from Idaho
for robbery.
James Campbell. Nome; pickp"cket-
Thomas Morton. Nome: burglary.
Frank AinSworth. Nome. larceny.
Mike Williams. Spokane: counter
feiter.
Harry Davis. Nome. Alaska.
Frank Morton. true name Ed O'Neil.
Spokane: counterfeiier.
Jaynes Morarity. Spokane; counter
feiter.
J. p. Stewart Idaho. counterfeiter
Bruce kenwright. Nome; man
slaughter.
James Carroll. Alaska: murder
\ Ledger reporter who visited the
island. sunday night. brings the fol-
loving particulars Of the escape:
\ hole in the brick wall of Cell No
10, occupied by convictS SNYDER and
Davis. reveals the method of escape.
The wall j. about foot in thick
ness. covered with concrete.
The tunnel was dug AT the junction
If the floor and the wall. sloping our
wardly until il formed 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
crawled about forty feet to where IL
opened into the boiler room. the
opening being covered Dy an iron
grating. This obstacle was overcome
by the use ~ saws. and the prisoners
had then only To walk our Of the back
door Of the boiler room. across the
ward and scale the board fence. \
few yards from the prison grounds
and the dense growth II timber af-
forded them. temporarily. safe re.
treat.
The prisoners took advantage q
the latitude allowed them during the
~ ftas1 to
plans. which had been cFrefuily de-
signed and boldly executed. The
guards. with the exception ~ two,
who were on duty on the wall over
looking the corridor. were eating
dinner IN the dining room. The tables
were being spread in the corridor for
the prisoners dinner. il being Gus.
tomary 10 serve them Immediately on
the conclusion Of the guards repas'
\ dinner gang was at work putting
the tables in order and the other con
vict> had the privilege Of the cor
ridorS. one nv one the men Slipped
into cell No. 10 and crawled through
the hole unnoticed. When the
guards came out and lined the pris
oners up for dinner. II were missing
\ brief search resulted in finding tn.
, ole in the wall. and the guards a.
CAGE ran 70 The boiler room whcr,
the steel door swung on lis hinges
4 showing that the men had alread,
flown.
Warden Palmer has not had time
7 to make thorough investigation
but Is unable to realize how the worl
could have been done without detec
ton.
I'VE inspect the cells regularl,
once each week" said the warden
"The last inspection was made Sat
urday. and | ordered the guards VIII
made the inspection 10 make care
full examination. They reported ev
erything all right. The work mus
have occupied several days. and hoy
they could have concealed the brio
and dirt which they took from III
wall until they had reached the al
chamber is more than l can under
stand
The plan which II is most fcare
will be pursued by the convicts wi
be to raid some Of the numerou
farmhouses on the island. sccur
guns. clothes and boat and the
row 10 the mainland. Among the e
capped prisoners are many de~perai
characters. who would not hcsitat
at murder to accomplish their put
pose. With so many at large IN
farmers would be az their mere.
and should they once get possessio
Of weapons il is believed by the of
cars If the prison that they wi
fight 10 the death before they al