The age-herald., 1902-01-27
JAIL DELIVERY STILL PUZZLES
 JAIL OFFICIALS Duncan and His Falls Seem to Have Faded from the
 Earth BELIEVED TO BE IN WOODS Thought the Gang Has Made It's Way Through Country Above Attal- Ia-Facetious Letter About
 the Escape.
BELIEVED TO BE IN WOODS

Nothing was heard at the sheriffs of- flee yesterday concerning the wherea- bout of Frank Duncan, Jeff VanHorn and George Bullard who escaped from the Jefferson county jail last Monday. The men are still supposed by the officials to be in the country north of Attalla. This section is very wild and mountain ous and affords an excellent place of re- treat to the escaped prisoners.
 United States Marshal D. N. Cooper thinks it probable that Snug Hoffman, who is said to have shot and killed Dep uty United States Marshal J. A. Holsen- back near Boaz, is in the same section of country. He and the Duncan gang may have joined forces, forming the nuc- leus for a nice little colony of desperate characters.
 It is quite evident that a gang of des- peradoes are operating in this section from the number of burglaries and other crimes which are reported from there The country is very thinly settled and the roads are so rough that 1t is extreme ly difficult for the officers to overtake the men.
 Must Know Country.
 Duncan and the other escapes evidently knew something of the character of this country while In Jail and made their way there directly after their escape, How they knew it is not known as no maps are allowed in the jail and every letter for prisoners is opened and read in the sheriff's office before 1t Is deliver ed. Prisoners, however, know thing or two and have ways of getting informa- tion that the officials little dream of.
 VanIIorn is physically strong and ac- tive as Is Builard They have not been in jail long enough to lose any of their strength and they were able to travel at a good speed. Duncan who has been in jail about two years, and in solitary confinement day and night since his at- tempted escape on January would have been too weak to keep up with the other men had he not resorted to the expedient of exercising in his cell every day 50 as to retain his strength and activity His one idea during all his confinement has been to escape and he knew-that he would have little chance of getting away if he allowed his muscles to become weak through disuse He has accordingly gone through certain exercises and enlistment ics every day to keep himself in condi- tion.
 All Still a Mystery.
 The sheriff has not ben able to discover how and when the saws were smuggled into the prisoners.
 Tt Is almost impossible to keep saws from being smuggled into a Jail," said Chief Deputy Sheriff Albert Stratford yesterday. "The saws which were sent to Miller for instance and which were hidden in the soles of a pair of shoes were so small that could have wrapped piece of cloth around them and put them in by mouth and no one could have detected 1t from my tone of voice. It is perhaps possible to keep a constant watch on one prisoner and prevent him from receiving anything but we have to watch hundred or more prisoners and 1t is ! impossible to prevent certain amount of smuggling.
 There are morphine fiends for instance who resort to all sorts of devices to ob- tain morphine in the jail. They will have a certain quantity injected into a banana or orange and have this sent into them. No one can detect this without a chem icai examination. Prisoners wits be- come very sharp about these matters and there Is not any jail or prison where a certain amount of smuggling does not go on."
 No further letters have been received from Duncan since the one he worte to the Age-Herald the night of his escape. and which he mailed just after leaving the jail. This letter caused a great deal of comment, many remarking on the tone of confidence which it displayed as to the success of the plans for escape. The men evidently had things well arranged and had no fear of their plans miscarry- Ing.
 Facetious Over the Escape.
 While no other letter from Duncan has been received, a friend of his sends the following to the Age-Herald:
 See-Saw, Saw-See, Saw-Saw,
 Sat, Jany., 25. 1902. Kind Gents.
 This ain't no sell.
 I'm out of my cell and I want to sell out-to the highest bidder. I've got saws, saws, saws-all kinds of saws-saws you saw, saws you never have saw, and saws you never will see saw. See? This re- minds me of what ran through my head as I sawed those bars In two-several twos, in fact, "Of all the saws ever saw saw, never saw saw saw like my saw saws" I once read in the Arkansaw Sawyer. 'If you'd win out, say nothing and saw wood" I sawed iron which is several suspirations harder. Therefore, am a double winner-per- haps.-but don't feel saw-ry. If do come back twill be like Little Bo-peep's my hands tied up behind me.
 I'm thinking some of starting a saw trust. and am trying to get up an at- tractive circular saw-I mean saw circu- lar, to catch the manufacturers' eyes and cause them to consolidate with me as Main Gazabo. I think I could cut their eye teeth for them all right, all right. Mabbe you think I was raised in a saw mill to depart in the wee sma' hours in such an uncerimonious and nasty man. ner, but as Pete the poet-philosopher of Pratt City or somewhere says: