Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-01-28
DIPPED JA|LER
 WITH AN IRON Bold Attempt of Prisoners to Escape From County Jail Ripped in the Bud by Jailer Tom Meeks.
DREW HIS PISTOL,
Made Defiant Prisoner Surrender Bloody Fight Among Men Within Jail Cells-Steel Saw Recovered and Quiet Restored.

After making bold attempt to es- cape from the Jefferson county jail in this city at an early hour this morning c. w. Christopher, 24 years old, white man who was recently bound over to await the action of the grand jury on charge of grand larceny, secured piece of iron from a bunk in his cell and defied Jailer Tom
 Meeks and his assistants. Declaring that he would kill the first man who
 came near him." Christopher waved the iron around his head determined ly and cursed fiendishly.
 Taking his revolver in his hand,
 Jailer Meeks went into the jail and by carefully urging Christopher to sur
 render, he then relieved him of the
 deadly weapon and upon searching him, found a small steel saw secreted
 inside of bar of soap in his coat
 pocket. Christopher admitted that he
 was quietly saving his way out of the
 cell in which he has been confined for
 several weeks. He was then trans |ferred to another cell and a close
 watch will be placed over him.
 A quiet tip, given Jailer Meeks
 early yesterday morning by another
 prisoner in the county jail revealed the fact that plan had been agreed upon by Walter Wack, who is await ing trial on charge of grand lar ceny, and Christopher and G. N. Gam ble, the white man who is charged with assault to kill Clarence Puck" Darby several weeks ago, whereby they were to effect their escape from the jail during the night. They also planned. it is said, to release all the other prisoners whom they could re- lease
 When Jailer Meeks learned of the plan, he made aa in- vestigation and found that ore of the bars of Christopher's cell had bo.n sawed ih two pieces. V de- :el .ed t?el Christopher .eile..-l pie Q .: see; from the sole of ob-, of his shoes and filing it sa W-sl.apad, he quietly went about his work. It l is not known how long the attempt 1 has been on, but prisoners told | Jailer Meeks this morning that they could not sleep because of the con ;tant noise made by Christopher while filing the bar.
 The jail-breaking plan leaked out asst night. Jailer MeeSs declines l 70 give the name of his informant, l put it is supposed that Gamble told 1im of the scheme. A fight. in which and Christopher were the )nly participants, occurred in the pull ring of the jail building Sun lay, while the prisoners were out ,f their cells exercising, is believed o have been responsible for the tip )eing given out. Before the men .ould be separated, both were badly lsed up, and each was covered with blood. It was then that Jailer Weeks sent the prisoners to oppo- ;ite cells and would not permit them 0 come out during the day. The fight is said to have been brought ,n by Christopher tearing Gamble's ,oat, but eye-witnesses say that Gamble intimated that he was going 70 give the jafl-break:ng scheme lway. Christopher called him a 'snitch" and the fight was on. '
 Christopher took one of the iron ounks apart when he was informed If the jail-breaking scheme having been tipped off and with one of the legs of the bunk, defied the jail of- 6cials. Meeks told him if he at tempted to use the iron he would shoot him full of holes and, realizing he would not effect his escape anyway, Christopher sur rendered.
 Sheriff Philpot, after investigating the matter this morning, recom- l