The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-07-02
GENERAL JAIL DELIVERY.
Prisoners Awaiting Trial in the Gar
rett County Jail Unceremo-
niOusly Take Leave.
THEY ESCAPE THROUGH HOLE IN WALL
insecurity of the Structure Again Mani
tested BY the Ease With Which Those
Detained Make Their Exit-None Have
Been Recaptured and May Never BE.

Monday evening about seven
o'clock three of the four persons de-
tanned i'll the Jail at Oakland made
their exit via the usual route-a hole
through the wall which they had dug
with the leg of chair and the handle
of tea spoon.
Those who escaped were Jas. Will
Tong, charged with stealing a horse
from Jesse j. Ashby at Crellin, which
crime was committed several weeks
ago, and since the incarceration of
Wilfong he has always been the lead
er OF the prisoners in their ineffect
ual attempts to gain their liberty:
Luther Ours, of near German, who
was being held on a charge of having
stolen watch and other articles. and
John Covington, who was serving a
sentence of thirty days for fraud.
Within the past three weeks the
prisoners have been very busy in
their efforts to get away, three or
four attempts having been made, but
unluckily for them discovery was
made in the nick of time until Mon
day when they succeeded. Sheriff
Maffet was over at Harrisburg, Pa.
where he went that morning to have
requisition papers signed by Gov
ernor Pennypacker for the delivery
to the Maryland authorities of A, G.
Ringer, who is wanted in Oakland
ON the charge of having uttered a
forgery on a man named Feather.
residing near GAINESVILLE. Feather
is now confined in the Allegany work
house and will be brought here upon
the expiration of his sentence. july
18th, and turned over to the Sheriff.
During the Sheriff's absence Deputy
Sheriff Calls was in charge of the
jail, together with Oliver Maffet, the
Sheritf's brother. An inspection of
the Jail is made two or three times
every day by the officers and at noon
on Monday the usual inspection was
made but nothing out of the ordinary
was noted. Deputy Calls and Mr..
Maffett having some business down
in town Monday evening left the Jail
but had not been gone more than
fifteen minutes when they were sum-
moned by a messenger stating that
the Jail was empty
The hole through which the men
made their escape was dug through
the partition wall separating the Jail
from the Sheriff's residence and led
into the room occupied by the Sher-
III and his family as sleeping
apartment. After having entered
this room the three men walked
through the hallway to the street
where they separated, two going
out Green street toward the Park
and the other one down by the court
house. Chase was Immediately given
by Deputy Calls but the men had
gained considerable start and could
not be overtaken.
The Jail, insecure from the time if
was erected is becoming more so with
each succeeding year and until some
thing is done in the way of perman-
ent improvement to the present struc-
ture or the erection of an entirely
new building along modern lines it
seems useless to attempt to detain
anyone should he make the slightest
effort to escape. No blame is attach
ed to the Sheriff or his deputies for
the escape of the men as to keep
them in Jail a guard would have to
be constantly kept inside to watch
them.