The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-08-10
SEVEN PRIS- 4
ONERS.ESCAPE
From Stark County Jail
by Saving Their Way
to Liberty In the Early
Evening.

Seven prisoners escaped from tha
county Jail Tuesday evening sometime
between 6;30 and O'Clock.
At the latter hour, when Turnkey
G.. Slosser of this city, went into the
corridor Of the prison to lock the men
in their cells for the night he dis
covered that section of the steel
bar door whion leads from the jail to
the alley-way bstween the Jail and
courthouse had been sawed off and
the outer door leading to the court
stood ajar. The size of the opening
through which the prisoners made
their escape, by saving the bars, was
about 12x22 inches, and according 10
the story OF MELVILLE Smith who was
locked in his cell at the time, work
had been going on with saw for the
past three days.
WHO THEY ARE.
The escaped prisoners, together
with the charges for which they were
being held to answer, age and descrip-
tions are as follows,
VIM. Smith. alias Snurky, alias VIM.
+ Evans, charged with robbing the res
idence of I'd Shearer Of Canton, May
+ 8, 1905. Age %, height 5 feet 11A
inches, smooth face, black hair, brown
eyes and 20 years Of age. Wore blue
suit of clothes,
Mike Randall alias Skinny Ellis
worth, 3S years old, feet on inches
tall, black hair, brown eyes, wore dark
suit. Charged with being an accom-
plice of VIM. Smith In the Shearer
robbery.
Hiram Foulk, formerly of Canton,
charged with non-support of wife and
minor children, Al. years old, feet
inches in height, gray eyes and dark
hair.
Joe Stufken Canton, burglary and
larceny breaking into Huffman's 8
East Tuscarawas street cigar store.
Age II years, feet 21a inches tall,
light brown hair and eyes.
Fred Bruder, accomplioe of Stufken,
aged IT, height 8 feet inches, light
hair, blue eyes.
@. M. Hall, residence Maine, charg-
ed with grand larceny in the theft of
a watch and rings from the home of
Milton Crosby on South Mckinley ave.
nue., June 27th' Age 46. S feet
inches in height, dark brown hair and
blue eyes.
William Corrall, grand larceny, re-
ceived July 1Ith from Minerva, aged
84, height feet III inches red hair
and blue eyes.
OFFICERS NOTIFIED.
Immediately on learning of the pris-
oners' escape the police department
was notified and Detective Ryan and
several officers went to the Jail and
examined the surroundings, then went
to work to aid in the re-capture of the
prisoners. If possible. Sheriff Wilson
and his deputies also got busy and
all surrounding towns and cities were
notified by telephone of the jail de-
livery. The news spread like wildfire
throughout the city and in less than
half an hour after the prisoners of
an hour before had scattered In diff
ferent directions, singly and in pairs,
hundreds Of people fiocked to the jail
MELVILLE SMITH INTERVIEWED.
On being interviewed Smith, who is
charged with the murder of Street
Car Conductor James Shelter, says
that for the past three days he and
the seven escaped prisoners had been
spending their time in the corridors,
to which they have access all day, In
playing whist. The penalty provided
for the losers was that they be lock-
ed In their cells for an hour each. He
and VIM. Smith, one of the desperate
characters charged with the Shearer
robbery, were always partners and
losers at least twice a day and he
thinks that inasmuch as he was not
let into the plans laid for saving
their way to liberty, the balance Of the
bunch, under the leadership of Ran
dali, alias Skinny Ellsworth, busted
themselves In saving the steel bars
How the saw with which the job was
done came into the possession of the
men Is not known. search of the
premises and cells, as well as the
court between the jail and court house
was made Immediately after the deliv.
cry was discovered but the thin and
well tempered little blade which did
the business In the hands of experts
could not be found, therefore 1t is sup.
posed that the saw was taken along
by one Of the gang as souvenir OF
the occasion.
TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED.
A rumor reached the police that
two or three OF the jailbreakers had
gone to Meyers lake and Curtis ]
Baum. chief of police at this pleas
ure resort. was notified to be on the
lookout for suspicious characters. A
description of The escaped prisoners
was given him and he commenced 9
search OF the grounds. While ap
preaching a bench leading up from
the entrance to the grounds to th'
ball park he saw two men leave ant