Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-27
NEGROES PLANNED
ESCAPE IS Fooled
Harris and Jones Saw Thru
Jail Bars and Scheme to Hold
Up Sheriff Hutson
JACOBSON GIVES THE ALARM
Negroes Had Sawed Their Way Thru
the Door Leading From the corr-
dor, and Booth Were out-Evidently
Lacked Nerve to Attempt to Over
come the Sheriff.

A daring attempted Jail delivery by
the negro holdups, CAP Harris ana
I'D" Jones, was frustrated this morn
ing lust in time to prevent it from be-
ing carried out successfully by ). JAG
OLSON. the prisoner arrested a few days
ago on the charge of stealing brass
from the Iowa Central. The negroes
had sawed their way out of the second
floor corridor and had access to the
entire first floor of the Jail, when Sher-
if Hutson and his deputies, VINO mao
been warned arrived. The unsuccessful
attempt for liberty has laid bare
diabolical plot to overpower and prob
ably kill Sheriff Hutson, rob him, Sc
cure possession of his revolver and
keys and gain the outside. which was
Matched and framed up by Harris ana
Jones, and In which jacobson was
made an accomplice after being choked
into submission by the negroes.
Since the middle of last week, the
negroes, working with the steel springs
from their shoes, an old knife and
pair of scissors, cut the padlocks mold
ing the heavy iron screens on the in
side Of one of the upstairs windows,
and two bars out of the door leading to
the downstairs. Thru this small open
ing the men crawled, and while Harris
and Jones were attempting to cut their
way thru the south wall of the Jail
jacobson warned the sheriffs house
hold, who telephoned the officers who
came on the run. Before their arriv-
ed Harris had crawled back thru the
aperature into the corridor and Jones
was found hiding behind the SOLITARY"
in which both the negroes were locked
later.
Plan to Hold Up the Sheriff.
This plan of escape, according to
Jacobson seems to have been adopt
ed after the negroes nerve failed them
when they had the chance to bold up
Sheriff Hutson Sunday morning, as
had been arranged. In this Jacobson
promised, under threats Of death, and
while the negroes were choking him
with a towel, to take part. The scheme
was for the three men to overpoWer
the sheriff when he made his rounds,
rob him, get the keys, gain possession
Of the downstairs and make a break
for the outside. Sheriff Hutson, I'M
conscious of the plan, made his rounds
as usual Sunday, and was among the
men in the corridor. No attempt was
made to modest him, and so cleverly
were the cut bars concealed that they
We're not discovered. Jacobson says
he was choked into apparent submits
sion Saturday night, with the towel
with which it was planned to next day
choke and gag the sheriff. He claims
he agreed, but simply awaited his
chance until he could give the warn
ing. His opportunity came this morn
ing when the negroes had crawled out
of the corridor, and were at work with
the shears, gouging out the cement
and plaster of the unprotected wall in
the corridor where no prisoners are
ever kept. Then he slipped off his
coat, squeezed thru the opening and
went downstairs to give the alarm.
When the officers arrived Harris was
in the corridor, naked except for the
trousers he wore. Jones, who was
outside, was also only half dressed.
They removed their clothes that they
might more easily slip thru the hole
made by the sawed bars.