The Western news., 1904-07-13
FIRE FIEND
BREAKS JAIL
CHARLES JOHNSON MAKES A SEN
SATlUNAL GETAWAY.
BROUGHT TO BAY AT FLORENCE
Gets "Bugs" All at Once Discards
His Clothes and Starts Campaign
for Election 10 Warm Springs.

The first successful jail-break in the
history of Ravalli county occurred
Sunday night. 1t was the clever get
away of an old hand. Charles John
son. awaiting trial for burning the
city Jail, Clipped his way through the
| three-ply brick wall of the county Jail
| and escaped.
Johnson was accustomed to sleeping
in one of the cells in the steel cage,
but was never locked in, being allowed
the freedom of the whole Jail. Jailer
Stephens made his usual rounds Sun
day night about ten O'Clock and turn ed
Oft the lights at the request of the
prisoner who claimed that they were
source of annoyance to him. He then
called through the barred door, asking
Johnson if he had gone to bed. The
prisoner replied that he had and Mr..
Stephens retired for the night. He
was awakened once during the night
by voice, which sounded as though
it might haye proceeded from any
part of town.
But in the darkened Jail the prisoner
was waiting. When everything was
quiet he climbed up the wall and
wrenched staple-shaped fastening
from the wall that holds a waste pipe.
1t was beveled, formidable instru-
ment, just the thing he wanted. In
the east end of the Jail there was
brick from which the mortar had been
scratched. 1t was good place to start.
With his strong hook, the criminal
Clipped noiselessly, diligently As
each brick was removed he placed
it cautiously on the floor. A three
ply wall, it was long, hard struggle
but he succeeded in penetrating it and
squeezed himself out into the free
night air of the great outside world.
The next morning Jailer Stephens
was greatly chagrined when he enter
ed the Jail. His charge was gone and
there was gaping hole in the brick
wall. 1t was all plain. The Grimm
mails bed in Jackson's cell was un-
touched; his tracks could be seen on
the pipe; the brick were lying on the
floor by the aperture and beside them
was the tell-tale hook.
The sheriff's office at once got busy.
Sheriff Pond, Under Sheriff Rawlins
and Constable Stockman took up his
trail and officers in other towns were
notified of the sensational coup. All
day Monday they searched without
avail. Tuesday it developed that he
had been in Victor Monday night and
Tuesday evening he was captured at
Florence by Deputy Sheriff Walter
Jernigan who brought him back to
Hamilton on the train last night.
When he reached Hamilton he began
to act and talk irrationally as though
he were mentally deranged. He was
locked in Jackson's cell and as soon as
he was unshackled he disrobed him
self and began tearing his clothes in.
to shreds. The officers had no sooner
left the Jail than he tried to hang
himself with couple of overall waist
bands which he had used for a belt.
He was cut down Just in the nick of
time.
A Western News reporter visited the
Jail this morning. Johnson, stark
dked, was sitting on his bed tearing
up an old blue handkerchief. The
cell floor was strewn with rags which
he had torn from the bed clothes.
Outside in the corridor his clothes were
lying on the floor, torn into patches.
The prisoner has vacant, meaning
less stare and talks in wandering
manner. He would not reply to direct
questions but started chattering about
Calcutta, and ''St. Thomas in New
Zealand That's the way ne talks.
His dementia may be feigned. 1t
doubtless is, but it has a genuine
appearance.
Big and muscled, possessing an ex-
ce edingly deferential voice which he
M odulates in a broken idiom, he is a
remarkable figure. His face, which is
protruding, is covered with a thick
rowth of short whiskers. And his
eye gives the lie. 1t shows his reck-
less, overreaching nature. It is re-
ported that he has been in Siberian
prisons and knows the ceaseless tread
mill of Russian oppression.
1t is perverse sensation that one
feels as he views the scene of Sunday