Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1903-08-07
Volume 81.


Jail break that has no parallel in the
history OF EIRu county culd4:nated
shortly after7 o'clock last evening when
Hughes and Reeves, held tu appear be.
fore the grand jury for the burglary OF
WmtermnDtel's iewelry store, crawled
through hole i'll the north wall OF the
county Jail i'll mn attemrtto gain their
liberty. Tho getting on, Of these men
was no ordinary AL break, but WAS done
with the knowledge and consent OF
Sheriff Clark aud his deputy. Tie
particulars Of the affair as we lnve
learned them are us follows: Lust
Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon Con.
stdb'" McCoy who happened in the rear
~ the Jail heard men on the inside of
the Jail working on the bricks Of the
fnunda'i"n. lie says that he notified
District Attorney Henderson what was
gong on rnd Mr. Henderson returned
Ia the rear of the jail with him and listen
cd to the men at work and that Mr.. Hen
dcrs"n III response To the question
M to %hat should be done snid: ~They
will he on, III few minutes and you
catch them when they come uut.-
Deputy Sheriff Wcathcrs was then
notified Of the ATTEMPTED b. eak.
but took no steps tO catch
the men at work or to lock them up in
their cells. Since that time the Jail has
been guarded 10y armed men to catch
the prisoners after they got ont. DIS
tr,f.
viewed and corrnborntcd Constable Me
Coy as Ia what passed between them
and Tia" steps taken tu catch the escapes.
MIR. Henderson said he advised the
course .akcn hy the ulliccrB bccauee he
thonght is was the only way the men
who were doing the work could bc
caught. 1t hc said. I've had gone into
the jail tO catch the men at work, the
man on guard would have notified his
pals and they would have been with the
other prisoners bcfor" We could have
got /" them and there would hnve been
no evidence as tO who thc guilty men
were. MIR. Henderson say : he took the
course hc did because hc was anxious
I" catch all the men concerned in the
plot la break jail. Whether ne took the
best course or not Is u matter upon
~hichagrcat many people hold opposite
vicws.
WhCU the break occurred Sunday eve.
ming the following men were stationed
about the jail: Constable Mccoy and
Deputy Sheriff Wcathcrs we're in the
t,il D.. "a, { ,,I, Ia,
Detective Fitzpatrick were in the water
closet at tire rear oi the jury room;
George Grim was ~ the back part OF
DIR. McDnwclI's yarGi: and Sheriff Clark
was in his coal house ncar the nllcy
back nf the inIl. These men were all
armed and all manied the roads the
prisoners would naturally take to get
away. Reeves came ont Oi the hole first
and jumped the fence between the Jail
and the alley, lie struck the ground
running and Sheriff Clark commanded
Lim to throw up his hands and halt
Reeves ubcyrd and waH soon taken tn
the old Jail where ho was swcatcd by
Sheriff Clark, Constable McCOy md
Detective Fitzpatrick, but refused Ia
give up anything. llngh"s got out uf
the hole but crawlcd back when Shcr.
in Clark called to Reeves. IIo wns also
put III the awcHt.bpx. but failed tn give
anything away.
y order to effect their cscapc thoy
had sawed through the = zach plank Of
the water closet floor aud then crRwlcd
some distance between the joists under
the floor until they came Ia the brick
wall. Once there ull they had tO do
WA tn pick the mortar from between
the bricks and take them out nt the
wall. Tho hole they made measures lSI
II inches. This morning the jail was
thoroughly searched aud two pieces ~
hose, that would mako good slung.
shots, n fork used ~ a saw aud scvcrnl
other articles wcrc found. Sheriff
Clark found pair of shcara, knifo
made into II saw, spike fixed in
wooden handle M II punch, mn old quilt
nnd fork used ns n saw under the floor
ucnr the hole in the wall.
Tho action ~ tho olliccra in this mat
ter ms caused II great deal " criticism.
Deputy Sheriff Wcdthcrs knew Inst
"Wednesday That men wore digging ont
ui the Jail. but took no steps to find out
who they wore. but guarded Ia jail on
tho Outsidc to catch them after they Ind
once gotten out. Sheriff Clark was III
the northern pnrl oi The county and knew
nothing about tho affair until his return
Saturday night When informed 0i
what was going on, he followed whnt no
was told wore the instructions Oi Dis.
irict Attorney Henderson. Tho lNpE.
rEHpESr hns given tho facts M II lcnrncd
thom aud will content itself for tho prca.