Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-07
SEVEN PRISONERS ESCAPE
0verpower Jailer Martin and Wife Just
After the Supper Hour,
PoTTAwATTAMIE COUNTY JAIL EXODUS
william ThompsoE. Charged with
Burglary, Evidently the Leader
of the Gang-others Make
No Effort 10 Leave.

Seven prisoners made their escape from
the county Jail last evening after over
towering George Martin, the TALLER, and his
wife, whom they forced into the corridor
around the revolving cage and shutting the
door on them made a dash for liberty
through the front door into the court house
yard.
The prisoners who escaped we're william
Thompson and E.. G. Jones, charged with
breaking into Maloney's cigar factory; John
Enbricht, charged with breaking into
schott's drug stdre; Andrew Thompson,
charged with brAaking into Currie Bros
store at Underwood; H. Fishburn, charged
with the larceny Of a bicycle, and Mike
Fahey and Mike Sheehan, charged with as
s~aulting and robbing Fred Goth in the rail-
road yards. All seven we're awaiting trial,
indictments against them having been re-
turned by the grand jury Wednesday.
The men made their escape a little be-
fore Z o'clock, a few minutes after they had
finished eating supper. How they sue
ceeded in picking the lock, one OF the
tumbler pattern, on the gate of the inner
| corridor, is not known. There were eleven
prisoners in the corridor which encircles
the revolving cage in which the men are
confined at night. During the daytime
they are kept in the corridor. Entrance
to the corridor from the hallway of the Jail
is through an iron outer door and then
through a steel barred gate. This gate was
! locked with a tumbler paddock. but the
outer door was unlocked.
Surprise the JaiIer.
Jailer Martin had Just finished his supper
and was placing away some bread In tho
bread box which stands in the hallway
. - -,.II 49, NhA A,.kar dnAr ~ fhn
Jail proper. While he was STOPPING over
the box the door was thrust open, striking
him upon the top of the head and almost
knocking him down. Before he had time to
recover himself Andrew Thompson rushed
out, followed by the other six prisoners.
Thompson, who appeared to be the ring
leader, seized Martin by the throat and at
tempted to force him back toward the cell
door. Martin struggled and nearly sue
ceeded in freeing himself when the other
six men jumped on him and they forced him
round the stairway and back to the cell
door, through which they thrust him. Mar
tin called to his wife to get him his re-
volver, which was In the bed room of the
hall. Before Mrs. Martin could do so, how
ever, two of the fellows seized her and
forced her after her husband through the
door into the inner corridor. They then
shu the door and turned the handle, but
were unable to lock 1t, not having the key.
One of the men ran into the bed room,
seized the revolver, which was LYING on the
bed, and all seven then made a dash
through the outer door into the cour;
house yard. Three turned down the alley
into Sixth street, while the other four ran
south on Main street, evidently intending TO
reach the railroad yards.
Jailer Martin succeeded in opening the
door in a few seconds and started in pur-
suit, but remembering that the prisoners
left behind were not locked in returned to
the Jail. The other four men who were
confined in the corridor. James Casady,
Harry Galley. John Plumb and Charles Cole
man. mad no attempt to escape.
Search for the Escaped Prisoners.
Martin lost no time in giving the alarm
and Sheriff Cousins and his force Of dep
uties we're soon on the scene. Search for
the escaped prisoners was at once begun.
Andrew Thompson, who is a big, mus
cular man, appeared to be the ringleader.
He was judge Of the kangaroo court and
was acting as monitor" in which capac-
ity he served out the meals to the other
prisoners. That the escape had been we'll
planned was evident from what was learned
from the prisoners who did not attempt to
escape. They claim they were not In the
secret and did not know anything about
1t until the men made the dash for the
gate. They said that as they were finish-
ing their supper the seven men who es-
capped went TO the end of the corridor where
their coats and hats hung on a line and
put them on. When Jailer Martin was
heard In the hallway Thompson said
ready" or something to that effect, and
swung the gate open. The men who re-
manned behind say they did not see the
lock picked.
Plumb, one OF the men who remained
was indicted with Sheehan and Fahey fol
robbing old man Goth. He insists that his
partners told him nothing about their plan
to escape.
This makes the third time that pris.
oners have escaped from the county jai
since its erection. Four men got ava
August IA. 1898, during Sheriff Morgan's
term by saving through the bars OF a win
dow on the main floor. and during Sheriff
HaEen's term several escaped in a similar
manner
N. Y. Plumbing Co.. telephone ESQ.
Reception 10 Graduates.