The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-10-23
KNOCKED JAILOR DOWN
John A. Loeifeimacher Escapes From
The ST. Peter Jail.
He Had lust Pleaded Guilty to
Two Indictments.
Was Young Barn Burner and an All
Around Desperate.
This His Second Escape From NicoIIet
County Officials.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
John A. Loffelmacher Knocked the Jail
or down in the ST. Peter jail last even
ing and made his escape. All of the
officers in Southern Minnesota are look
ing for him, and it is thought that his
recapture will be only matter of time,
as he had no money when he left and he
is easily described
Young Loffelmacher and his father,
August, were some time ago jointly in
dicted by the sss2shf jury of Nicollet
son, in burning the barn of Frank KEN
len in Ridgeley township, Feb. Goth, 1902,
and the other was for putting dynamite
in the threshing machine owned by John
Mans and Adam Vinegar, Oct 10th,
1902.
The old gentleman, August Loffel-
macher, was tried at the last term Of
court on the second Indictment, but the
jury disagreed. Yesterday both indict-
ments against him were dismissed on
motion of the county attorney, who said
that he felt that the evidence in the pos
session of the state was not sufficient to
warrant conviction.
Young John A. Loffelmacher was re-
Gently released from the state peniten-
tiary, after having served term for
sending obscene matter through the
mails. He was brought back to st.
Peter for trial on the two indictments,
and yesterday pleaded guilty to both of
them, and was to have been sentenced
today. The maximum penalty. for each
offense is seven years in the penitenti-
airy, but is thought that the young man
would have received comparatively
light sentence, considering the enormity
of his offenses.
Young Loffelmacher was taken back
to the county jail to await his sentence,
and the jailor, Mr.. Oleson, took him his
supper on a tray at the usual heua. The
jailor passed through the door leading to
the cell room and locked it, and then
went to Loffelmacher's cell and unlock
ed that. As he was stepping in with the
supper, Loffelmacber dealt him a sud
den and unexpected blow that feiled him
to the floor and rendered him -sor the
time being helpless. Loffelmaeher then
either took the jailor's new key and
opened the outer door OF else used key
that he had himself made out of
piece of aluminium and made his escape
before the alarm could be given A
scrap of aluminium was found, which
leads to the belief that he had prepared
a key out of the metal.
As soon as the escape of the prisoner
became known a search was organized,
but no trace of him was found TIE Of
fcers in this city and elsewhere were no
titled and the railroad yards were close
ly watched. One man saw Loffettaacher
crossing the Chicago & North Western
trestle near the asylum, but did not
dare to capture him, as the young man
has acquired a reputation in Nieoilet
county as being desperate. After
crossing the trestle, Loffelmaeher pro-
ceeded toward this city.
w. E. Young OF this city and Albert
Pfaender of New Ulm We're the attorp-
|eys for the Loffelmachers.
Loffelmacher, when he left the Jail
took the precaution to lock the jailor in
the cell room. Fbe latter's sha,sdsswese
heard by a young girl of the family and
she let him out. By that time five min
utes or more had elapsed since the,Ses-
cape of the prisoner. Lofelmacher must
have hidden until we'll after dark before
leaving the town. 1t is thought that he
will put up desperate fight before he
will submit to capture, as he viii hardly
get off with less than the maximum pen
atty of fourteen years in the peniteDti-
airy when brought back.
Loffelmacher wore blue suit of doth
ing and white shirt. He is of medium
height, rather heavy build, dark eem-
plexion and smooth face. He escaped
once before, when he was first arrested,
but was recaptured in st. Paul, where he
had been arrested on the charge of steal
ing an apple from a barrel: and sent to
the workhouse. He is looked upon as a
very bad man. That time, while the
men were looking for him in the rail
road yards he was concealed there
among carload of horses.
Fred Schritt of Mapleton was locked
up over night at the city hall, but
was allowed to go this morning. He said
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