Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-09-22
DESPERATE ATTEMPT
TO BREAK JAIL

all probability with murder is dut
| wholly to the vigilance of Sheriff
George Maiers. Not only did til,
Sheriff by timely discovery keep sew
| eral desperate men behind the bars bu
he no doubt saved his own life, for il
| seemed to be part of the plot to lure
the Sheriff into the Jail and to strike
him down with club.
The inmates of the County Jail al
present are as follows: David Barrett
aud Elmer Halderman, who are held
for trial in connection with the bold
hold-up at W. H. N. Walkers hotel
on the evening of July Bird John Sees,
who is held OH the strength of state.
ment made by his wife accusing him
of causing the death OF their child,
aud George Crossley, who is awaiting
trial on the charge of assault and bat
terry.
During Sunday the Sheriff detected
a slight NOISE in the direction of that
portion of the building whore tie
prisoners are confined. 1t was noise
that had peculiar Specification to the
Sheriff and he Immediately went about
an Investigation. Time and time again
during the day ON hearing the noise
he went into the Jail, but in every III
stance he found verything quite and
orderly, the prisoners showing no es-
pecial interest aud no embarrassment.
He was convinced, however, that some
thing was wrong and Sunday night a
close watch was maintained.
Yesterday morning the Sheriff kept
Barrett and Halderman in their cells
and quie ted their suspicious by telling
them that he expected to have the
plumber IN the prison during the fore
noon when it would be necessary to
keep things closed. Instead of the
plumber, however. the Sheriff sum
moDed Chief. of-police Mincemoyer and
Officer John Grier Voris, to whom he
confided his suspicious aud whom he
requested to accompany him OH tour
of investigation through the cells.
The three officials went into Bar
rett's cell but found nothing. In the
bath room, no Tever, ,cuuninsly secret
ed ON the under side of a table was a
jimmy and six hack saw blades, such
as are used for saving through steel.
Halderman's cell was next examined
and there secreted i'll a small interstice
behind the railing of the bed were six
more saw blades. In his pocket was
found q monkey wrench. Iu Sees cell
back of the plumbing was found saw
frame with one saw, dulled with u.s.
age, fast in the frame.
A short examination showed that
the saw at least had been put to very
effective use. In Sees cell directly
opposite window OH the east side
and separated from it only by a hall
some three feet wide, two iron bars
over an inch in thickness were found
about one third sawed through.
The officers in all found themselves
in possession of one hack saw-frame
aud thirteen blades, one jimmy and
monkey wrench. They were about
leaving that portion of the building
aud were passing out of the door of
the cage when one OF the prisoners,
with the plot, reached over head and
pulled out club in the form of a
heavy chair leg. which he presented
to the Sheriff with the remark :" Here,
take this thing with you we don't
want this in here.
1t is something more than theory
that the club entered prominently in
to the plot TO break Jail. When the
bars were all severed and the prison
ers had found their way from the cage
into the corridor it would have been
al easy matter for one of the prisoners
by feigning illness to have brought
the Sheriff into the cage; as he passed
through the gate another prisoner by
playing his part could have seized the
heavy club and dealt him blow over
the head. With the gates open and the
Sheriff silenced it might have proven
comparatively easy matter for the
desperate men to have made their es-
cape through the side entrance.
The next thing was to find out with
whose aid the saws, jimmy and other
articles discovered were conveyed OF
caused to be delivered to the prison
ers. The Sheriff was not long in strik-
ing a clew and on the strength of In
formation, which. he lodged before
Justice of the Peace Oglesby shortly
before noon yesterday, John Seitz and
Ralph Hahn. two young men of town.
were taken into custody. At 2 O'Clock
they were arraigned before Justice
Oglesby, the hearing being conducted
by District Attorney Ralph Kisner.
The men both pleaded not guilty. The
principal witness against them was
John Sees.
This witness swore that he knows
David Barrett and Elmer Haldermsn
but is not acquainted with either Seit7
or Hahn. He heard them frequently
spok an of, however, by Barrett and
Halderman and were alluded to a!
Seitz and "Toughy." On the nigh
before the Habeas Corpus hearing. h'
said. the two latter came to the bacl
fence and Secs repeated conversation
which passed between them and the
men il the Jail. relating to some mat
ter understood between the parties
About this time the prisoners secured
the saw with two extra blades. which
they brought into Sees cell and ex
hibited with the remark:
"Here's our liberty!"
The work of saving was begun II
| II l~.A txz