Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-02-01
Charles Kiss, Alias Charles Mer-
rift, Escapes From the
County Jail.
WORKED A SMOOTH GAME.
Said He Did Not Want to Go to
State Prison Immediately Be-
cause He Was Tired.
Declared That One Day Would Mako
But Little Difference But Subsequent
Events Proved That II Did.

Good bye, sheriff. I must leave you,
Good bye, jaiier. dear,
| hope my absence will not grieve you,
But ! can't stay longer here!"
Joyously, also quietly, hummed one
Charles Kiss, also Charles Merritt, yegg
man. burglar, all-round crook and twice
escaped convict, as he sawed away at
the bars in the rotary OF the county
jail. between last midnight and day
light on this the first day of Febru-
ary 1907. Kiss, or Merritt, presented
his April Fool one month ahead of
scheduled time showing thereby that
he is decidedly Industrious, After
getting out OF the rotary. he paid at
tention to the bars on the window To-
Gated Mt the southwest corner of the
corridor. He sawed o bar from the
window, pushed back tho IRON screen,
lowered himself to the ground by means
of a rope made from blanket and
GIVEN SEVEN YEARS.
Non est.
Kiss is the man who burglaiized The
residence of j. d. Wood, also ten oai-
ces In the heart of the business dis
trict of this city. He was captured
by Detective Wheeling while In the act
of disposing of valuable sable wrap
which he had stolen from the Wood
residence. In Judge Diehl's court yes
terday he waived preliminary hearing.
In the afternoon he went before Judge
Armstrong of the Third district court
and entered plea of guilty. He re-
fused TO give his real name, stating
that II was not necessary, and declined
4 Ia ut
saying he was guilty Of the crime
charged in the complaint and was
ready for sentence. He was given
seven years In the state prison.
WORKED SMOOTH GAME.
But are they coming to him? Echo
answers. because Kiss Is not,
This clever crook worked q smooth
game on detectives, sheriff, court and
JaileTs. While In custody he affected
limp and a hump Neither was genu-
ine.
After being sentenced to serve term
of seven years In the Utah prison
something was said by an officer abous
taking the man TO Warden Pratt's in
stitution ON the hill. Kiss gently de-
INJURED. He explained that he was at
tackled with that tired feeling aud hum-
bly, remarked
HAD THAT TIRED FEELING.
I'm feeling rather tired and don't
want to go to the pen and one day
won't make much difference"
But subsequent events have proved
beyond the peradventure of doubt that
zone day" did make much difference"
The clever crook was sparring for time
and he got it-but not the seven years.
sCHAFFBR STILL THERE.
He was taken back TO the county
jail and placed In cell on the top
floor of the rotary. The cell was in ths
northeast corner For "A room-mate
Kiss had @. H. Schaffer. recently SEN
fenced to -four months for obtaining
money by means of false pretenses.
Schaffer declares he did not hear Kiss
at work saving a bar. The officers be-
lieve Schaffers statement because
schaffer is still in jail.
HOW HE DID TT.
Kiss removed one bar and then
squeezed his body through the opening.
Going to a window al the southwest
corner OF the upstairs corridor he
quickly sawed another bar. The OPEN
ing made IN the window. by actual
measurement, is exactly 6% inches.
DTsCot.. RED THIS MORNING.
The so far successful break for lib
erty was not discovered until Jailer Joe
Burbidge came on duty at o'clock this
morning Deputy Sheriff Larsen, who
was on duty from IL o'clock last night
until Z this morning did not hear a
sound Of suspicious character. This
fact is another indication OF tho des-
pernte character of the eX-prisouer
When the fellows absence WAS dis
covered an alarm was given and an
examination Of the cell and window
made Schaffer declared that he did
-
were removed and an Iron screen dis-
placed. Kiss was gone. OF that
thore could be no doubt. Not a thing
was found In the cell in the way ot
saws, candles o. grease.
GOOD INTENTIONS.
II was the intention OF the officers 10
have Kiss ''mugged" this morning ard
then lake him 70 the state prison. fiut
Kiss had other arrangements and lost
no time IN carrying them out and him
self out OF jail, A thorough description
OF the man WIS taken by the sh-riffs
force yesterday afternoon.
THE DESCRIPTION.
Tie description Is as follows.
Name-Chares Riss
Age-2G years.
HEIGHT 5 feet AZ inches.
Weight-l+2 pounds.
cOmpieXiOn--dar
Hair-Dark brown.
Eyes-LiGht blue.
Smooth face.
Tattoo ON left fore arm of pansy with
stem an inch long. Also vaccination on
arm,
Clothing Dark suit patent leather
shoes, black hat,
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
Had Kiss been placed In the lower
compartment OF the rotary he never
would have escaped, for the reason that
IL would have been impossible 20 have
sawed the bars there because they are
composed Of rolled chilled steel and
u would require more than dozen dlf-
ferenily tempered snws 10 cut through
the formation,
WARNlNG GIVEN.
Last night Detective Raleigh 'phoned
down 10 the county iail and advised tho
man in charge 10 keep a close watch on
Kiss. There was good reason for
this advise.
TRIED m BEFORE
1t was discovered last night that Kiss