The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-10
RUSSELL TRIES ESCAPE
JUMPED FROM WINDOW O,
 COURT HOUSE.
Man Accused of Rihing Montgomery Theatre Safe Breaks Foot in Dang Attempt for His
 Freedom.

Ett ~ udtHiS attempt 10 escape, James F. Russell. one of the men charged with blowing the safe of the Montsanery Theatre on the night of December 8. yes terday afternoon at o'clock Ieaped from the window of jury room on the second story of the Montgomery County court house and fractured his foot as a result of the fall
 Russell was a witness for his com panion, Albert Driscoll, in the case against him charging burglary. He was put under the rule, as were other wit nesses. and occupied with a score of others, the west room on the east wins of the building
 All day Russell sat quietly in the wit ness room, awaiting his turn to testify in behalf of DriscolL The court pro- gressed slowly and the intense interest fin the case that was manifest when the case was first called. had waned. The large throng of spectators that had crowded the court room throughout the day had dwindled. A witness, George 1T. Todd. Jr., had just been called to take the stand to give expert testimony as to the method used in forcing the safe.
 Confusion .n Court Room.
 Suddenly the court was thrown Into confusion. From out the witness room dashed Detective Lacy of the Mobile police department. who was a witness in the case. Running headlong, he did nor pause for explanation. but disappeared through the portals of the court room as quickly as he had come He was closely followed by Arthur B. Hirscher, witness. Run, run quick" shouted MT. Hirscher. Russell has jumped out of the window and escaped
 Chaos reigned in the court room. Con- af finY1 yuo op ba Co n. ing judge and all eyes were turned on Driscoll Everyone present rose to his feet. Many hurried towards the win dows. Others bent on recapturing the escaped alleged safe blower, ran down the long steps 10 the court yard below. E Watch out for Driscoll" yelled Soli- citor Dent. But the NHrning was not needed. Behind Driscoll was standing perhaps the only cool man fin the room. Deputy Sheriff George Jones. into whose custody Driscoll was given over during the trial, made escape for him impossi- ble With his large revolver drawn he stood close to the prisoner and awaited developments.
 Russell landed r7 the grass plot direct ly beneath the window from which his, daring leap of about eighteen feet was made. He staggered to his feet and endeavored to run toward the Carnegie library wall He fell near the office of the clerk of the City Court
 He was quick seized by Detective Lacy and Office Deputy Sheriff Albert Taylor. who had hurried to the scene. He made no struggle nor did he protest in any way
 "Please handle me carefully he re- , questsd "I think my leg and arm are broken"
 He was lifted and taken through the court house to the county jail. where he was placed in an invalid chair in the Jail office. County Surgeon Charles T. Pollard was summoned.
 Russell Smoked Cigarette.
 An immense crowd quickly gathered and they had to be forced back from the office by deputies. Russell, although evil dently suffering great pain, was the coolest man around the place. Pale as sheet he leaned back in the easy chair and asked some one to roll him a ciga- rette It was given him and through the flashing red beard that has grown on his face since his confinement in Montgomery. the blue smoke curled
 pr. Pollard pronounced that bone in his left foot was broken. but the injury to his arm was only brufse ~
 When the attempt to escape was made. Driscoll was sitting in the jury room next to John Case. chief of police of Mobile and Detective Lacy into whose chargc he had been given by Sheriff w. R. Waller He was seated in the corner Of the room near tho year window. With out any sign hn arose and putting his right foot in the chair sprang forward and through the window. It was con ridered miraculous that more serious in- iuries did not result. from the eighteen feot fall
 Russell Is resting quietly under the circu-,st1nces rnd refuses to tall. of the attenrt 10 eecape, which is the third effort he has made to regain his liberty.
 The ~rnall court yard in the rear of the court hou~e where Russell alightad Is -,,--ourNod hv high brick wall. Russell had evidently measured the walls and tho 6'stance of hts jump. When he was rJcked I'D he said he would not have heen injured f he had sprang clear of tho hnildIng He struck the coping out eide the window sill. he said. and this caused him 10 fall short of the pfaee he intended to alieht. He arose quickly and ran few steps, but fell from great pain in his foot.
 Driscoll. in the court room apparently took little interest in the attempted es- cane of his companion. Jt ia believed the attempt was prearran nssd and that Dris- coll hoped to gain his liberty during the excitement attending the flight of Rus sell.