The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-31
KENNEDY ESCAPES
FROM CITY PRISON
Saws Bars of CeIlhOuSe and
Reaches Ground by Means of
Blanket Rope and Fall.
SAW FASHIONED FROM CASE
KNIFE INSTRUMENT USED
Believed That Fugitive Knows
Something About Murder of
Officer Riley.

| Robert +, Kennedy, prisoner in tho
/ city Jail. cut two bars OF the cellhouse
with Il caseknIfe nIed into tho form OF
| saw and escaped shortly after tho
I breakfast hour Thursday morning. Ken
nedy was n partner OF l.. l.. Drisllcll,
who confessed the murder OF Special Of
| fcer c. c. Riley the night OF October D.
Kennedy was being held principally for
the purpose of testifying at the Driskcll
trial. the police believing that he knows
something about the murder OF Officer
Riley.
Kennedy had been a wcll-hchaved prIs-
oner during his Incarceration, and had
been allowed the privileges of an inside
trusty. This is IL concession made to
prisoners who show an iaclination 10 be
good. Work about the inside OF the
prison is assigned 10 them.
Thursday morning, before tho break
'ast hour. Kennedy was about hiS chores
as usual. lie was called for breakfast.
but he failed TO respond 90 the call
Bars Sawed in Twain.
An investigation was made of the cell
house. on the upper tier of which Ken
ncdy's cen was. TWO bars OF tho win
dow had been sawed through and were
,riG rqiGd dG%}%Tard ind@S TlHm,S% onG Smt m tn
story of konrcdy's escape was plain. The
distance 10 the ground from tic end OF
the blanket rope which hung from the
dollhouse window is about twonty-fire
feet. and Kennedy evidently dropped this
distance.
Tho cuts in the iron bars. were quite
clean. Their presence was hidden before
they were finally broken by biz of soap,
which had been colorcd with shoe black
ing. The soap served two purposes, that
OF cuncoaling the cuts In the bars and
that Of dcadoninG the sound Of the saw as
II raSpcd through The metal.
Knife Saw Is Found.
For some time the Jail officers were at
loss as TO knowledge OF the instrument
which had been used in cutting tho bars.
Alter careful search q casclSniie OF steel
such Is ordinarily served with res
taurant bectstcak. was found Concealed
IN the ceiling near the window The
knife had been filed i'm the form OF n saw.
rhe iiliuG had been done either before the
knife was passed in TO Kennedy or INC
file passed in with tho knife, The hle,
however. was not found.
Chief of Police Sam BARLOW Immediately
sent out descriptions OF Kennedy and all
The patromcn were instructed TO keep
a sharp lookout for him.
Kennedy asserts that lie knows nothing
about the Riley murder. lie says he
met Drislcil in Ogden. lie was detained
in Jail on conviction Of NaSraucy, a
charge TO which he pleaded guilty.
Worked in Pairs.
Kennedy was undoubtedly assisted in
his work bg Fat llcalcy, VINO MAS also
brought here from ogden at the time OF
konncdr'S arrest. kennedy and !caleE
were allowed to work in tho corridor,
and when the saving WAS being donc ono
II them evidently kent guard while the
other worked from the top Of The tier OF
cells.
1t is one Of those unfortunate things.
said chief Barlow that i bound to
happen sometimes. Nobody Is especially
Ia bldm me. On account of the height from
the ground n man inspecting the bars
would pass by thousand times with
ont discovering the cuts. Jh"I mlSnt
have stayed there undiscovered lndcn-
nitely.
II have no doubt that tho saving was
done in the day time: that llcaley stood
guard while Kennedy was at work on
the bars We have put Hcalcy into soli-
tary confinement and he viii stay there
until his term expires.
'Iu addition to the bars. the window
was screened to considerable height.
but Kennedy worked above this and so
did not touch the screen.
Chief Barlow believes Kennedy VIII
again he IN custody within 4 short time.