The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-09-02
Well Concocted Plan to Set Free Prisoners Cleverly
Blocked BY Sheriff Williams
Getaway Was to Have Been rlade at Nine O'clock
Tonght--An Assault on Program
Sanders and Murray, Train Robbers Were Ring
Leaders in This Daring Undertaking.

/ sure the success of their enterprise
The sheriff learned that tonight was the
time set for the execution of the plot. He
determined to wait until today and then
head off the scheme with a little STRAIT
egg. He concocted his plans well, letting
not even his wife or deputies into the
secret that he had learned while on his
midnight vigils. He had good reasons
for not interfering before, as he wanted
to make sure how deeply laid the plot
was and how many were in it, whether
there were any on the outside, and
whether the second floor prisoners were
connected with it.
At noon today, Sheriff Williams call
ed upon Officer Lundberg and to him
and Deputy Sheriff Gerlich he revealed
what he had learned and asked them to
assist in carrying out the plan that he
had prepared to head off the Jail deliv-
cry. The first floor prisoners are fed in
the vacant cell and today when they
were all seated there for their midday
meal the sheriff slipped the bolts and
had them penned in the cell like rats in
trap. Then he and his assistants
made a thorough search of the different
cells and made each prisoner emerge
separately and strip himself. Every ar
ticle of clothing was given minute ex-
animation.
The result of the search was astonish-
ing. The articles produced made collec
ton that reminded one of miniature
machine shop. Two saws made of clock
springs had been used to saw the solid
steel bars. A jackknife had the big
blade nicked into saw, and was tight
ly bound with insulated wire and rope
until it had firm and easy handle.
There was piece of soap that had been
used to deaden the sound of the saving.
There was collection of bolts and
springs taken from the mattresses, the
backs of three chairs that had been loos-
ened so as to be used, a large block of
pine and some smaller pieces that had
been used to pry with, some wire that
had been used in breaking padlocks and
was to have been used in breaking the
big lock to the cell room corridor if
necessary. There were various pieces of
metal, and six foot rope made
from a blanket in Sanders cell. There
were. other articles, including pieces of
rubber, putty to fill the places where the
bars had been cut, etc.
The various contraband articles were
cleverly concealed in different cells, but
mostly in that of Sanders, and some in
Murray's. Some were in the clothing
of the prisoners. Where the saws and
some of the other articles came from is
mystery, as the sheriff has been partic-
ular about what the prisoners have
been allowed to retain and has frequent
ly searched them and the cells.
The prisoners whose escape would
have been effected if the plan had carried
include Sanders and Murray, Frank
Madden and William Smith, the two
United States prisoners, Joseph Glenn
ents, charged with seduction, Harry Per
ry, charged with grand larceny, and
Dan Buckley, also charged with grand
larceny.
When Clements was asked by Sheriff
Williams why he did not tell him what
was going on, he replied that he did not
dare to as Sanders had threatened to
kill him if he told.
William Haggerty was on the first
floor, but was relea sed today, his term
having expired. He denies that he was
in the conspiracy, and the officers be-
lieve him. He states that he did not
know what was going on, but admits
that he heard noises during the, night
time, made by the others. He says that
they never spoke to him in regard to
the matter, and he did not ask them.
The bars that were sawed are in San.