The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-14
turnkey Harris Told That
Something Was Crooked
And Scheme of Desperate
Men Is Foiled.
SAWS SECURED AND
BARS OF THE JAIL CUT.
Alleged Murderer, Forger and
Thief, Principals in Affair."
Men Make Confession Of
Their Intentions.

\ "Im poor but try to be honest.
know you've got ny husband in here
and he may have TO go to the peniten-
tiary, but IL he does | want as much
honor left as possible. There are fell
lows in here who wanted me to bring
package over and pass it in with my
husbands clothes. | believe there is
some thing crooked
1t was in this manner that a woman,
who is just as she said, poor but hon.
est" tipped off to Turnkey Ray Harris
at the county jail the most desperate
attempt at Jail delivery that ever has
been foiled in this county. The plot
ters were Sherman Keller colored,
Sherman Wilson, colored and William
trio upon its success that prepara-
tions had been made to bring bodily
injury or probable murder, to anyone
who might attempt to Illustrate their
conspiracy.
The discovery of the progress made
by the plotters was brought about by
n game of bluff" in which the turn
key played the entire BILL After his
suspicious had been aroused, his in
tuition and things he had observed
about the Jail, made Harris believe
that the three men named were the
ones it was most likely the woman
meant when she dropped the sugges-
tion. Cajolery played it's part promin-
emily and working upon the suscepti-
bility of the three men individually,
the turnkey managed to secure a con-
fession. 1t was the natural suspicion
One criminal entertains for another
that led to the final divulgance Of the
plan.
Saws Struggled.
Three steel saws had been smuggl
ed into the Jail in q piece of tobacco.
With these saws. Friday night Woods,
Wilson and Keller worked on the bars
to the northwest window while the
turnkey was absent to supper. The
bars were sawed two thirds of the
way through and only slight pres
sure would have been required to
break them. The men intended to
make their escape Saturday night but
were foiled by the poor but honest"
woman and the fact Harris was on his
guard for something of the kind.
Prisoners Desperate.
The three prisoners involved appear
TO be desperate. Keller is under in
nictment for murder and his trial was
begun this morning. Wilson is charg-
ed with larceny. He is a fugitive from
Ohio and is suspected of murder at
Hamilton. Woods was brakeman on
the G. G. e L. railroad. He lis held
tor passing fraudulent checks. He is
wanted at Peru, his home city, on four
charges of forgery. 1t was he who
supplied the money that acted as
bribes to released prisoners, who be-
game interested in the attempt to
smuggle the saws into the jail.
The sheriff and turnkey had been
lware for some time that Woods had
been receiving money through the
hail from relatives at South Bend.
What use he was making of the
money was not known, however, until
Ernest Bell. a prisoner charged with
hrceny proffered the information to
Ihe sheriff that he had better be on
,wn recognizance, Bell told the sheriff
le had been given so cents by Woods
before being released and had been
bsked TO buy steel saws with the
honey.
Hooker Buys Tools.
Last Friday William Hooker was re-
based from Jail. He was given SIS,
Moods contributing IS and Wilson
md Keller each adding ST. He was
bid to buy saws with the money. He
bought the saws and inserted them i'll
plug of Square Dear' tobacco. He
eturned to the Jail intending to give
be tobacco to the conspirators, but
be turnkey refused to permit him to
be them. Later Hooker gave the to-
acco to Frank Mitchell, an epileptic,
nd asked him to give it to Keller.
Etchell did so. and Friday night the
ben began the work of saving their
fay to liberty.
Mitchell confesses.
Saturday, Harris called Mitchell to
I'm and asked him what he had
rought into the Jail for Woods. Nit
hell said tobacco and admitted that
he plug had contained saws. He said
he plug had been cut open, the saws
tserted and the halves pressed back
lgether again. With this information,
tarris went to Woods and told him
teller and Wilson had confessed to a
lot to break Jail. He advised Woods
tell his story. He told Woods the
ther two men had placed all the
lame on him and it was up to him TO
ear himself. Thereupon Woods as
trted that if the other two had
rown him down, he would not stand
r it. He told complete story of
le affair. With the knowledge gain
from Woods. Harris went to Keller