Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-14
CAKE TAKEN TO
JAIL CONCEALS
PLOTTO MURDER
REVOLVER AND CARTRIDGES
FOUND UNDER CRUST
OFFICERS TO BE KILLED AND
DEsPERADoEs RELEASED
Former Prisoner, Who Was Lured by
Promise of Rich Reward, Said
to Have Made Complete
Confession
1.-TWO freshly baked pound cakes,
nicely covered with sugar frost

1.-TWO freshly baked pound cakes,
nicely covered with sugar frost
ing, which weighed more than a
pound apiece led to the discovery last
night of a plot to murder the night
jailers at the county jail. This was
to be followed by the wholesale delivery
of more than thirty desperate prisoners
awaiting trial on felony charges.
The plot, according to the statement
given out by the county Jail officials,
was born in the mind of Frank J.
Humely, ex-convict and race track fol-
lower, and was to have been carried
out by him with the assistance of
Robert e. Watson, who was released
from the county Jail Saturday last.
1t was planned that Watson should
Smuggle a revolver and cartridges into
the jail to Humely, and the latter was
to shoot down Night Jailers George
Shehi and H. H Doyle. secure the keys
and escape, accompanied by all the
prisoners in the tank in which he was
confined.
Humely was arrested on South Spring
street the evening of December II by
Patrolman Meyer and Detective Jones
on complaint of a, Main street clothing
dealer, who stated that Humely had
purchased a, suit of clothes from him
for $35, for which he had given a
fictitious check.
When Detective Jones further investi-
gated his record he found that Humely
had forged the name of J. A. Moore to
a check for $8.25, which was caShed by
J. P. Burroughs of S571S South Spring
street.
AS the forgery case was the stronger,
Humely was prosecuted on that charge,
1t was discovered that Humely was
an eX-convict, and, with prior convic-
tions hanging over him, was liable to q;
Of fn
forgery charge.
Forms Desperate Plan
Humely became desperate and started
to plan way out of his trouble. De-
cember 25 r. E. Watson was received
at the county Jail from Long Beach to
await trial on a charge of passing
fictitious checks in the beach town.
Watson was placed in the same tank
as that occupied by Humely and the
two men became acquainted.
When Watson said he expected to be
released shortly Humely told him he
had $500 IN cash in a Long Beach
bank and $500 worth of opium planted
near the Mexican border. He also de-
clared he owned a power schooner at
San Diego, and promised if Watson
would agreed to do as he wished he
would give him half the money in the
bank and take him to Mexico in the
schooner where they would recover the
opium, bring it into the United States
and sell it.
Watson agreed, and Humely then
told him to begin sending fruit and
delicacies as soon as he got out. When
the jailers had become used to the
packages he was to buy a revolver ard
cartridges, place them in a cake and
send it to him.
At the first opportunity Humely was
to shoot down the jailer when he opened
the tank door, and with the other
prisoners the second jailer was to be
rushed and shot down, his keys taken
away and the doors opened.
Saturday last the case against Wat
son was dismissed by the district at
torney and he was released. He at
once began sending Humely fruit and
cakes. In much of the fruit opium
was hidden.
Brought by Expressman
Yesterday afternoon about O'Clock
an expressman appeared at the Jail
with pasteboard box in which were
two cakes. He also had a package of
fruit. This was handed to Sheriff
Hammel with the request that it be
given Humely. AS the sheriff took
hold of the box he thought it heavy
and was convinced when he saw the
cakes that there was something else in
the package. The expressman was de-
tanned until the cakes were examined,
and then it was found that the tops
had been carefully cut off, the inside
scraped out and a revolver of the Iver-
Johnson pattern, .38-caliber, inserted.
There were also twelve cartridges and
a sack of tobacco containing a one
dollar bill.
The eXpressman said he had been
given the packages at Fifth and Main
streets to deliver to the Jail, and had
been paid so cents for his trouble. He
also informed the sheriff that the man
who gave him the stuff was waiting
to find if it had been delivered.
Accompanied by Deputy Sheriffs
Henry Denison, Claude Matthewson
and Harry Wright the expressman re-
turned to the corner Of Fifth and
Main and Watson was found in the
Belmont bar taking drink
He was at once covered with re-
volvers and ordered to throw up his
hands. After he had been searched for
arms he was taken to the Jail, where
he is said to have made a complete
confession, saying it was planned to
murder the jailers and allow Humely
to escape.
Lies to Watson
Humely is asserted to have admitted
the plot after he had been confronted
with Watson, and to have boasted that
within tWenty-four hours he would
have been free and would have left
two dead deputy sheriffs behind him.
He also admitted that his tale of
money in bank, opium cached in Mex
leo and the power schooner at San
Diego were tissues of lies to lure Wat
son to his aid
Both men will be presented in court
on felony charges. The prisoners who
would have escaped are among the
most desperate confined in the Jail.
Among them are A. Anderson, bur
glary; John Allen, murder; Phillip
Cooper, burglary; G. B. Clark, extor-
ton; w. A. Campbell, burglary;
Charles Dorm, burglary; A. Hildebrand,
arson; Henry Hagg, robbery; Frank
Higgins, assault to murder; L. P. Har-
gey, forgery; Fred Kramer, assault to
murder; Paul Kane, burglary: Ernest
McCooney, assault to murder; w. H.
Il. Moore, felony; A. E. Satia, felony:
J. G. Sandstrom, fictitious checks:
julius Thurston, forgery: A. Wood
ourn. burglary. and G. w. Ware, bur-
Elary.