The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1905-05-12

| NHHt anu ont toloItui thtdptu from
the Livingston county Jail at Smith
land last night by fling two bars
of their cells and twisting the sta.
pies that held the bolt on the front
door, reaching the outside world
without anyone being the wiser ex
cept one other prisoner negro
named Clemmons. who preferred to
remain. and was afraid to give the
alarm
The three men are:
JOHN WELLS, white.
JAMES COWAN, white.
WILL PROCTOR, colored.
There were only four prisoners in
the Jail. This morning about $3.50
o'clock Jailer Threlkeld, who lives
In a house adjoining the Jail. was
aroused by Clemmons, who inform
ed him that the other prisoners had
filed out OF their cell and escaped
IN hour before.
He feared to give the alarm soon
err, as they had made threats against
him when they found that he did
not desire to escape with them.
An investigation was made and the
alarm at once given by telephonine
all surrounding cities, but it could
not be ascertained which direction
the fugitives took.
Jailer Threlkeld and County At
,orney Wilson of Smithland, came to
Paducah on the Royal this morning.
and were in consultation with the To-
cal police officials, returning this af-
ternoon.
Jailer Threlkeld says there were
only four prisoners in the Jail. which
Is an antiquated affair. All were in
the same cell. Two bars were filed in
two near the bottom and partly in
two IL inches above. and a heavy
iron pipe was then used to prize them
up, thus leaving an aperture. This,
by actual measurement, was only
nine by eleven inches, yet all three
men got through It.
Clemmons. who is in Jail for hog
stealing, says that the negro could
not get through unts he had remOv
ed his clothing.
Once out of their cell. they were
in the corridor. The front door of the
Jail was fastened with a bolt or bar
and staples, and was Intended largely
to keep people out and not to keep
anyone in as the prisoners are kept
in the cell all the time, The prison
ars easily priced of the staples and
let themselves out.
1t is believed they took to the riy
err.
Jailer Threlkeld says he has no
idea when or how they obtained the
file and the iron bar they used I'M eff
fectlng their escape, and thinks the
delivery must have been made abou'
midnight, instead of an hour before
the negro notified him.
About two weeks ago Clemmons
went to the jailer and told him that
during the night someone had been
at the back window of Inc Jail and
put something through on pole,
which the other three took posses
sion of.
A thorough search was at once
made. hut nothing was found. Clear
ly some one on the outside aided the
prisoners go secure their liberty. and
no doubt were there with a boat
or other means to secure their liber-
or other means of getting away as
rapidly as possible as soon as they
gained their freedom
All are bad men" Jim Cowan was
| captured only few weeks ago a.
Reelfoot Lake after being at liberty
two years, lie killed Warren Wood
ward near Smithland with shot
gun after they had quarrelled over
their children ngthing, lie lived on
Woodward's farm.
Wells Is the white man given
year recently for chicken stealing,
but a few days later indicted for XIII
Ing John Hockenberry, a shanty-
boater and throwing his body into
the Cumberland river. The body was
found above Smithland after Hook
enberry had been missing six weeks,
and a girl with whom both men had
Fbeen infatuated says that Wells told
her he rowed up TO Hockenberry in
boat and knocked him In the head,
and after killing him threw his body
into the river.
Proctor Is the negro who pushed
another rouster. named Young. on