The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-03
Will INQUIRE into
CONDITION OF JAIL
Officials Disgusteb With
allure Of Steel Bars
to Stand Test.
CONTRACT CALLED
FOR FINEST GRADE

y
Alleged Thieves Had Lit
tie Trouble-Chie Says
Confidence in Safety
offPrison Shaken.
Though, no definite step has yet been
taken in. this direction, It is now re-
garded as practically assured that the
sensational attempt OF notorious bag
gage thieves to break from cells In the
City Jail will be- made she occasion
FOR sweeping investi cation OF tha
condition OF the prison from, the point
oflsview OF the requirements OF the
specifications OF the contractors, the
Stewart Iron Works, OF Cincinnati.
The Jail was built about four years
ago. and jnt that time was considered
a model jof its kind, the specifications
calling for the best grade Of work
throughout. The contract for the main
building was let to the Stewart Iron
Works. OF Cincinnati. at $Gs 500. The
qtounds and Buildings Committee OF
Che Council. in conjunction with tho
Finance Committee, supervised the
work. which was approved by the City
Engineer. In addition to this the jail 4
cost S1S,22S.31, which was paid to the
Mesker Company, OF ST. Louis for fin-
ishing and steel work. additional cells,
hospital, ETC., making the expenditure
for the entire structure sse,72s.sl. The
ease with which two prisoners cut
their way through all the bars Of de-
fense shows that any clever criminal
with the proper tools can make hid +
escape, II he is not otoverpowered by the
guards. Officials generally are aroused
to the dangerous possibilities OF tnla
condition., and the matter is the sub
,ay,f if7
cles.
The Specifications.
The cells in which the alleged bag
gage thieves were confined were what
is known as .murderer's row. q
series OF eight steel cells on the third
| floor. supposed to be the best IN the
building, and part of the origina!
\ cations with this company, which are
signed by Mr.. William Gibson: lf.,
then chairman of the Grounds and
Buildings Committee on the part Of the
4 city, compose q bulky typewrtttens vol
sEume, the section bearing on steel cells
Il reading: 4ti
Il stFivc-ply nlulnina ted steel to be +
used for eight tooI-proof cells In
a right wing OF third floor nm fol-
lows: five layers, three Of which
Y will be soft, tough iron Or steel, !
and two TO be hard cructbles steel;
/ EetIler into u solid bar or plate ns
(. the case may be, and after the
work IL properly fitted and all s5
holes, etc, punched, the bars or
plate. are to be subjected to g -
tcmpering process which cnuses the
two layers OF hard crucible steel
to take on n high temper, RENE
!, ~ DERING SAME HARD AND
PROOF AGAINST TOOLs.' (Spect-
ficntions, Pages I4-15) s IS
. When questioned about the matter
!, yesterday Mayor Mccarthy said that
: he had not been to the jail. and had
. only heard Informally of the matter,
but that 1t had certainly been his un-S
i derstanding at the time the prison was
!. built that the city was buying the best
material TO be had. and that the new
:, building had always been regarded as
burglar proof. The City Engineer was
not In his office yesterday afternoon.
and his assistants declined to be
quoted in the matter. beyond referring
J to the records OF the Jail construction
: on file In that office. s is5
Confidence Shaken. 3 ~
Chief OF Police Werner said that he
had carefully inspected the cell. and
that the way In which the steel bars
had been cut astonished him. Notonly
were several bars cut through, but
the lange holding the cell door In
3 place. a half-inch-thick strip OF So
called tool-proof Steel had been rawed
from the top Of the door to the bot
tom. Chief Werner said that what
ever the condition OF the steel, and
: whether or not the cells We're accord
: ing to contract, his confidence IN the
Jail as keeping place for expert Grim
inas had been greatly shaken, ana
: that he believed the jail should be
\ heavily guarded inside and out u I ali
: times.
In explaining the evident plan OF es
: cape, the chief said that had the at
y tempt been actually made 1t would
8 probably have resulted in the death of
Z men were evidently desperate and
would have stopped at nothing. @
Al the end OF the eight cells knowr
as murderer's row a guard sits al
night. 1t was evidently tho plan Of tn,
prisoners to seize moment ,wher
z this mar nodded in his chair, and braii
the guard with one OF the pieces q
heavy iron found in the cells. Possess
Ing themselves OF the guards pistol
the men might have hoped I'd over
: power or dispose OF rias turnkey Il
the lower hall before he 4 could ma u
any alarm, and then, taking his skcv,
pass on our through the office an
main entrance. B5s IN 5sil$s$ 'ill
l. An investigation will also probahl
>. be made into the manner OF irspectin
t cells at the CITY Jail, some surpris
! having been expressed that the M al,
g hanges could have been sawed ava
: from two cell doors while guar
o was suppssed to be always outside ~
y door Chief Werner said last 3ntrl
h that ne did not anticipate any s, ioe,
IS arrests In the case. Il. ~ ~
d $s Sax Months Each.
q Henry Allen and Louis Rodrers5i ii
S prisoners whose capture In tha act,
Il cutting their way out or the ian or,
: eipitated the trouble. were tried in 81
d Police Court yesterday morning AZ
8 sentenced 90 siN months' imprisoi
\. ment each. 5ss r.
h No evidences was introduced al i,
!. trial 70 show how they got the say
9, and other articles used In the atte,nl
?. to escape, nor has this beer. ear,
!" up to the satisfaction OF ahe ofsicia
\ as YET, The men made no danial8 y
Is the attempt, and went 70 tail withp
IL protest Bill Landrnin, tine trus
La prisoner. who RS MORT az Il N II, ~ i. I'D