Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-05-17
DODGE co. PRISONER
GAVE OFFICERS SLIP
MAN CHARGED WITH BURG
Larry ESCAPES FROM JAIL.
George CLAIR Made Exit From
Dodge County Jail by Making
Opening in West Side of Jail
WdII-When Arrested Had d
Burglar Kit-EVid6ntIy Bad Man
tFrom Saturdays Daily.)

The Juneau Independent yesterday
gave the following account OF a Jail
delivery from the Dodge county Jail:
Some time early Thursday morning
George CLAIR, who was confined al
the Dodge county jail waiting trial
on the charge of carrying burglar
tools, escaped possibly by making al
opening in the west side of the Jail
wall, the opening being made by
tearing out the window casing and
portion OF the brick wall, just large
enough to permit him to pass through.
He lowered himself to the gronud by
maens of rope made from the bed
blankets used in his cell The blankets
were torn into strip, wound together
tightly and then Joined by tying,
making a rope sufficiently long TO allow
him to descend from the second story
where he was confined. One end of
the rope was securely fastened to an
iron bar in the window.
There is no doubt but what CLAIR
received assistance from the outside.
A large iron bar which the prisoner
used to pry out the window casing
and to remove the brick was found
on the window sill by Under Sheriff
LANCE the morning after the Jail
delivery CIarr had evidently made
survey of the interior of the building
before attempting his escape and made
every precaution to prevent his detec
ton. On the east side of the Jail
there are two openings in the wall
opening into the corridor leading to the
sheriff S office, and used as ventilators.
These Clair stuffed with pieces of cloth
torn from his bed blankets, SO that
no sound would be carried through
them. He then selected the weakest
point in the wall for his operations.
The casing of the window through
which he escaped. had been tempered
with by other prisoners some time ago,
and the lower half thereof had been
patched and nailed only to the sill.
1t was possible for him to remove this
portion of the casing with his hands,
leaving nothing but an inch board that
was nailed to the brick wall. This
he cut through with a jack-knIfe.
When the casing was removed he used
the iron bar to remove the BRICK,
making an opening about foot square,
through which he escaped. As Sheriff
Miller searched his prisoner before
locking him up Tuesday, there seems
to be but one way of accounting for the
presence of the knife used, to cut the
window casing, that it was handed to
him from the outside. This theory
also explains the presence OF the iron
bar. 1t is probable that the blanket
rope was used to carry the knife
and bar to the cell window.
CLAIR is one of the McFarlane gang
that was arrested last fall at Hori-
con by officers Granlow and Hartman.
At that time a warrant charging him
with carrying burglar tools was issued
and placed in the hands of the Dodge
county sheriff. Fond du Lac officials
were looking for CLAIR on burglary
charge and Sheriff Lentz surrendered
him to them. After lying in Jail at
Fond du Lac all winter he was &C
quilted last Tuesday. The Fond du
Lac officers notified Sheriff Miller of
Clarr's acquittal and Mr.. Miller went
there Tuesday and arrested his man,
returning with him to Juneau Tues
day evening. Clarr was arraigned be-
fore Justice Sawyer at Horizon, and
upon entering plea of not guilty was
bound over to the circuit court.
The following is the description of
CLAIR: Age 27; dark complexion, 5
feet 10 in height, weight about 10
pounds. wore dark clothes and derby
hat.