Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1906-01-18
John Mininger Again Escapes.


Saturday night John Mininger, who
in Jail few weeks ago on
a charge of larceny made against MIN
by Ben Leithold, who charged Mining
or with stealing a lot of oil well junk
from his place in Clearfeld twp, told
Henry Fisher, the prisoner IN the cell
next 20 him, not to wake him when MS
breakfast was brought around Sunday
morning as he was not feeling well and
wanted to sleep. Then Mininger hung
n blanket over the front of his cell, for
the purpose of keeping out the morning
light. he said, and apparently went TO
he'd. Within an hour or two after.
Mininger unlocked his cell door, went
ont locked the door again. unlocked
the iron door at the entrance to the her
of cells in which he was confined. us
ing a different key than that required
for the cell door, and locked the door
after him. He then went to the north
side of the Jail, unlocked the door to
another tier of cells, passed through
and locked the door, unlocked the door
opening into the Gail elevator. got IN
and locked this door after him, went
down into the basement where he pro
cnred section of half-inch hose used
in washing out the Jail, and carried
this in the elevator to the top floor.
Here he unlocked another door leading
into the bows room, and from this he
passed by an unlocked door to the
chanel. located at the northwestern
corner of the top fioor where he had at
tended prayer meeting in the afternoon.
Mininger then put away his keys and
BEGAN TO use a saw on the steel bars
which alone separated him from
freedom. His saw was muffied in a
towel. The bars were cut through and
Mininger had strength enough to oend
them away and make an aperture ii by
IA inches through which, after tying
the hose onto the other bars in the
window, he squeezed and squirmed,
and finally lowered himself to the
ground forty feet below. While Mln-
niger was so busy the other prisoners
must have been sleeping very soundiy,
as they all claimed they heard no noise
made by him, Z. G.. OFT. the druggist,
who was returning to his home adjoin-
ing the jail. said he heard a low whistle
and saw a man run across the Jail yard
about one o'clock, but paid no attention
to him
Sheriff Campbell knew nothing of the
escape until nearly IL O'Clock Sunday
morning, when he was alarmed by the
loud pounding made by a prisoner on
the doors, and was informed that Min
niger was not in his cell. The matter
was kept as much of a secret as possible
by the officers that day. At noon
Deputy Sheriff Vorous and Chief OF
Police Schultz started for the home OF
John Sheets, near Great Belt, Minlnger
was stopping there when arrested. At
the Sheets house the officers were in
formed. that Mininger had arrived
there about 2:30 in the morning, chang
ed his clothes and left about three. The
officers said they would have to search
the house, and Sheets objected and only
yielded when threatened with arrest
Mlninger was not found in the house,
but the parlor door was locked and
there was few minutes delay in get
ing it open, and then an open window
at the other side of the room confronted
the officers Despite Sheets story that
Mininger had left nearly twelve hours
before the officers were almost forced 20
believe that he was IN that room when
they arrived at the house. and made his
escape while Sheets was quibbling with
them.
MININGER'S CRIMINAL. RECORD.
John Mininger has figured more
frequently in the criminal courts than
any other one man in the history OF
Butler county.
On March 81, 1881 he was sentenced
to four months to the Allegheny County
Work House on two charges of larceny,
being convicted on both. County De-
tective A. Allen and s. NJ. Wright were
the prosecutors. AT the same term of
court another charge of larceny against
him by his brother Adam was ignored.
At the March term, 1885 he plead
guilty to charges Of a&b and surety OF
the peace made against him by his
brother Adam and was fined six dollars
and costs on the two charges. At the
same term Adam Mininger was acquit-
ted on a charge Of a&b made against
him by John, and the costs were put on
John.
At the September term 1891, Adam
Mininger was indicted for felonious
a&b with intent to kill and murder,
and his wife Susan was indicted as his
alder and abetter. Susan was acquitted
and Adam was convicted and sent to
the penitentiary for three years. John
was adjudged guilty of surety of the
peace on complaint of Adam at the
same term aud sentenced to pay costs
and enter bond in $500. On Nov. 23,
1901 while serving in Jail to avoid pay
ing the costs Mininger made his first
escape. by going through the
roof with nine other prisoners.
Mininger at this time also as
saulted Sheriff Brown and beat
Aim almost to death Mininger tore all
his clothes off and for time was kept
in a. padded cell and was afterwards
kept chained to the floor in the cellar.
He was sent to the Work House by
Judge Hazen one year for breach of
prison, and one year for larceny OF
which he was convicted on complaint of
August Goephart at the same term.
On the same day be was also sentenced
to the Western Penitentiary for years
and 10 months for burglary and larceny
on complaint of Lewis Ziegler. At the
same term charges of larceny were also
made against him by Philip Cooper,
William Cooper and George Grimm.
When Mininger's penitentiary term
was completed Sheriff Dodds was sent
to take him to the Work louse to serve
the two shorter sentences, and Mining
er kept Sheriff Dodds and two assist
ants busy all day performing the job.
Dodds was in bad humor for a week
after.
On September H. 1890 Mininger was
placed in jail on charge of burglary.
Three days later he broke Jail and
made his second escape.
A term in the penitentiarv followed.
After his release he was accused of
horse stealing in Allegheny county, got
two more years in the pen and after
completing that sentence returned to
Butler county last summer.
The charge for which he was await
ing trial was larceny of lot of oil well
junk from Chas Leithold of Clearfield
twp. When being brought to Jail after
arrest Mininger asked what kind of a
Sheriff we had, and said he had better
be good one or there would be lots of
trouble in the jail
Gx.a-k Ty.-