Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-09-03
KEPT HIS WORD.
Crook Makes Good a Boast That No
Prison Can Hold Him.

Prison Can Hold Him.
Andrew Cunningham. the pal of
Earl Trainor, escaped from the La
Crosse jail last week Just as he de-
| clarcd he would when arrested seven
| weeks ago. Trainor sawed his way
through the steel bars of his cell door
| ana of the corridor Two weeks ago.
Cunningllam's escape last night was
even more sensational Both men be.
long to gang of adroit safcblowers,
| and they have boosted that no jail in
the country is strong enough to hold
| them.
Cunningham, Earl Tranor aud
| James Crane were held In Jail here
to await trial on the charge of rob-
bling the postoflicc at Stoddard, Wis.
TrainOr sawed his way to liberty on
he night Of July 81.
After Trainor escaped the in
authorities adopted extraordinary pre-.
cautions Ia prevent Cunningham and
Crane from getting away They were
stripped ana r"clad in entirely now
prison clothing. They were placed in
Now cells. which had been furnished
with new mattresses and blankets.
They were only permitted to leave
their cells for exercise three times n
day. and then separately and accom-.
panied by guards. They wore permit.
ted to see no one. not even their ut
torncys. At night The turnkey had
his bed in the main corridor. near the
doors To the cells occupied by the
iwo men
And yet in spite of all the prccau
ions, Cmnningham's coll. its doors
tightly bultcd and every bar intact
was found empty this morning. Gun.
ri
leaving note which said:
rhc mosquitoes are too thick
about this place. can't stand i, any
longer. Good.by"
Cunningham had somehow ar some.
where secured Il heavy iron chiscl.
With this chiscl he had worked n hole
through ono of the four-inch blocks of
stone which form tho floor of the cell
Inserting his hand through the hole
nc had thus made, the prisoner timed
me block up on edge. thus making an
opening in the floor of his cell large
enough 10 permit his body To slip
through
Through this opening Cunningham
slipped into an air passage three feet
high, which extends under tho entire
iloor Of the Jail and the bottom of
which forms the ceiling of the basc-
mont. The partitions between sec
tons of this passage had been knock
I'd out by plumbers who made rcpnirs
on the jail Il year ago ami had never
hccn replaced. Tho outlet was I'm
the boiler room of the Jail. only Il
short distance from beneath Cunning
hams cell. and undoubtedly he had
little trouble in finding it,
The boiler room is not n part of
the Jail proper, ana upon reaching il
all that Cunningham had Ia do was To
open II screen door hooked I'm the in.
side aud walk into Il yard hack of The
jail. which WAS surrounded by three.
rail- fence, used Ia keep horses within
bounds.
Postal Inspector Fraser and the
local officers are completely baiIicd
over the manner in which Cunning.
ham secured and chscl or how he oh.
obtained knowledge Of The mir chan
mol beneath the cell. None of tho
present jail officers held their posi-
tions when the plumbers made th.,
holes in the partitions Of the air pas.
sage, and Sheriff TIaugcn himself did
not know of the existence of this
spncc.-La Crosse (Wis) Cor. Chicago
Tribune.