Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1908-04-10
PRISONERS TRY
TO BREAK JAIL
Unsuccessful Attempt to Saw the
Steel Bars With Case Knife
Last Sunday Night.

An unsuccessful attempt was
made by several of the prisoners in
the county Jail TO gain their liberty
last Sunday night by saving the
bars of the lower cell i'm the North
west corner of the Jail. The attempt
was frustrated 10y the Sheriff, who
in making his usual rounds before
retiring at night, noticed small
quantity of filings on the cement
floor, and a closer examination show
ed that one of the lower bars in the
cell mentioned had been partially
severed.
An investigation was started and
in the search of the cells TWO saws
one made from ease knife, and the
other from piece of steel that is
usually found in the soles of shoes,
and a file, were found. "Bill'
McGee, murderer, admitted that
he was the ring leader of the Gang of
would-be Jail breakers, and young
man by the name of Rogers, United
States prisoner, was one of his assist
ants. Rogers, who is charged with rob-
bing the mails, stated that he had
worked in a hardware store, and.
consequently had a know ledge OF the
process of hardening metals. He said
that he made saws of the knife and
shoe spring, and as soon rs the Job
of notching them was completed, he
heated them and plunged them i'm
water-the process used in harden
ing the bars of the cells in the Jail.
MCGEE said that they heated the
saws with flame from lamp oil,
but the general opinion of the officers
and others is that the heating was
done 10y burning the straw in the
mattresses. AT any rate, the case
knife shows evidences of being heat
ed, as part of the handle was charr-
ed.
The Sheriff and Commonwealths
Attorney were worried no little at
the partial success attained by the
prisoners in trying TO escape.
Upon the heels of the recent
thorough inspection 10y experts of the
character of the metal in the cell
bars, and the replacing OF bars that
were proven defective, by others that
were tool proof, " for common or
dinary case knife to cut the bars like
ii first looked TO the Sheriff was GER
tainly a knock out blow.
AS result of their fruitless at
tempt to escape, "Bill" MCGEE and
Rogers will no longer be allowed to
''EOom" together, or given the privi-
lege of the run Of the corridor, but
are now occupying cells 10 them
selves, which will hold them until
they are sent for.
Mr.. &. G. Long, the alI-around
mechanic, secured several saws Mon
day afternoon and proved beyond a
reasonable doubt that the hardened
steel section of the bars are tool
proof, and cannot be penetrated by
ordinary means. Three steel saws
were used on the bar cut by the pris-
oners, and rs soon rs the hardened
steel section was reached they could
cut no further.
The outer iron coating of the bars
are easily cut with the proper tools,
and it was this coating that the pris-
oner cut with the hardened case knife
and shoe spring.
1t is said that steps will be taken
to construct an apparatus on the order
of telephone transmitter in the cell
room of the Jail, to be connected
with the Sheriff's bed room, and in
the event the prisoners attempt To
saw the bars or make unusual noises,
the sheriff can hear it immediately.
There are at present seventeen pris-
oners, in the Jail, several of whom
will be taken to the United States
Court ut Abingdon in May.