Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-09-30
PRISONERS Gain
THEIR FREEDOM
Men Charged With Robbery
Break From Fairfield
Jail. ~.
POUND SHERIFF OVER HEAD
Bloodhourds Are Put On the Trail
Entire Town is Aroused and is
Prosecuting a Vigorous Search for
the Jail Birds.

Fairfield, la, Sept. 2a.-Two men,
giving their names as Ed and Charles
Peterson. and claiming to be brothers,
confined in the jefferson county JAIL
on the charge of breaking and enter
ing. overpowered Sheriff John Wright
at $50 o'clock yesterday evening anu
gained their liberty.
In some unaccountable manner,
they had obtained possession OF an
iron bar, and as the sheriff entered
their cell after the conclusion OF their
evening meal TO remove the dishes,
they pounced upon him and pounded
him severely with the bar, rendering
him unconscious for brief time.
breaking the outer lock, they made
their escape in the darkness.
Upon regaining consciousness. the
sheriff called loudly for assistance
and his cries were heard. Blood
hounds were al once put on the tran
of the jailbirds, and it is believed
they will be captured.
On the night of September 5, the
hardware store of Fulton and Grove
was burglarized and about $40 worth
of cutlery and other goods stolen. The
burglars were traced to Powersville.
Mo-. and were captured. On being
brought back to Fairfield on Septem-
Der S, they gave their names as Ed
and Charles Patterson, claimed to be
brothers and confessed the crime
District court is now in session and
their trial vas to have been held this
term.
1t is the general opinion that the
men gave fictitious names and that
they are not brothers. They are
young men apparently about twenty
five and twenty-seven years of age
and are of medium build; both have
dark compilations. They were entire
strangers in Fairfield and had never
before been seen here until two days
preceding the burglary.
SMALLPOX MORE DANGEROUS.
Dr.. Kennedy Advises Strict observ-
ance of QUARANTINE Law.
Des Moines, Sept. 29.-"Smallpox
can no longer be regarded with indif-
ference by the people of this state
says DR.. F. J. Kennedy. secretary Of
the state board of health. while the
number of cases is insignificant as
compared with the widespread out
break two and three winters ago, it
now exists in much more malignant
type and fatalities are numerous.
Polk county alone has witnessed
several deaths within the past few
months. Two deaths occurred in Il
family near Mitchellville recently and
five or six, or something like that,
have occurred in the detention hospit-
al of this city within few months
past.
Il am Informed that not a solitary
case exists in Des Moines at present,
and if this is true l am very much
pleased, but smallpox still exists in
numerous localities throughout the
state and was never prevalent in
such dangerous form. When it was
so common two years ago the quar-
antine regulations were hard to en-
force. The public observed that those
afflicted with it were never seriously
i'll and came to view the contagion as
harmless. They refused to look upon
it as real smallpox and preferred to
call it Cuban itch and various other
names that are applied to unimpora-
ant ailments. Under existing condi-
tons. however, the quarantine regula-
lions are much more easily enforced
and it is to be hoped that it will be
possible to stamp out the disease in a
short time
Certain it is that the contagion is
no longer to be laughed at and that It
stands every one in hand to be mighty
careful to keep away from SMALLPOX
and to see to it that quarantine regu-
lations are strictly observed"