The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-27

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Serious Charges
Recaptured.
would not tempt a thief, being OF
but little value and beside had worked
hard all day, consequently could not
be driven or ridden Gerry far. "Ike"
insisted that they had been stolen
and then complained that because it
happened to be he who was making
the complaint the officers paid no at
! tention to it. In response to the COM
plaint the sheriff said he would dress
at once and see what could be done,
as "Alkali Ike" was entitled to the
same protection as other people.
: Had a Premonition.
Because of the desperate character
of at least two of the prisoners in
his charge, Mr.. Hubbard's mind for
weeks past has been constantly on
the Jail and as soon as he received
the message he hastily dressed and
made an inspection of the jail. To
use his own words, he ''had a hunch
that something was wrong" His fears
were speedily confirmed, for he found
the outer doors of the two cages on
the ground floor open and all the
inmates, except one, gone.
Once in the corridors the prisoners
were separated from the outside
world and freedom by only the soft
iron bars guarding the windows. Two
of these, one in each room, were saw
ed in two, making holes through
which the men squeezed themselves.
In the south room the severed end
! was lifted from the frame, while in
| the other it was bent inwardly, hav-
ing resisted the efforts made to pull
it out.
BY telephone Mr.. Hubbard gave the
alarm and soon armed men were leav-
| ing the city in search of the escaped
men. The hunt was continued all
night and all of the following day,
while the telegraph and telephone
were brought into requisition and ev-
cry ranch and town within q radius
of hundred miles with which COM
munication could be had notified
How It Was Done.
To intelligently describe the man.
ner in which escape from the cages
was effected is difficult The outside
doors are locked with bolts, actuated
by lever contained in a box on one
side of the doors. The bolts are
similar to those that secure the doors
of vaults and safes, with the excep
ton that instead of being attached
to the doors they are fastened to the
sides or castings. The bolts are three
in number for each door, and when
the latter is closed they spring into
place, the ends, which are ,beveled
on the lower side, slipping into sock.
cts in the door made to receive them.
To fasten the bolts and make them
rigid is another bolt, contained in
the box holding the levers, which,
when pulled forward, wedges the &C
tuating handle of the lever to which
the locking bolts are affixed. This
makes it impossible to unlock the
doors until the wedging bolt is re
leased. To the jailer's neglect to
slip the wedging bolt into position is
attributable the escape OF the prison
ers.
/ Among the latter were several safe
crackers and burglars, men thorough
ly familiar with locks of all kinds.
They studied the mechanism of the
locks of the cages and saw that with
the proper kind of appliance the bolts
supposedly fastening the doors could
be easily pushed back and the doors
opened, provided that the wedging
bolt was not used to fasten the lever.
Careful watch of the Jailer's action
and sharp use of their ears soon sat
isfed them that the safety bolt was
never sprung. 70 get the needed tool
was the next thing. AS the prisoners
were allowed the privilege OF seeing
visitors this was comparatively easy