Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1909-06-18
-FOUR PRISONERS
saw OUT OF JAIL
Early Sunday Morning De
livery BY Novel Means.
All Still AT Large.

The town and community were
much surprised on last Sunday morn
Ing when the news became known
that four prisoners had escaped from
the Tazewell Jail, and had disappear
ed as if the earth had opened and
swallowed them.
The four men Ed. Houchins.
Henry Bailey, Alb CaudilI and Harry
Miller, had recently been tried in the
circuit court in session here, Houch
ins and Bailey being under sentence
to penitentiaIy for two years; Miller
serving sentence of thirty days
for carrying concealed weapons and
Caudill awaiting trial i'm the United
States court in Roanoke for selling
whiskey.
Efforts were made on Sunday TO
locate the escapes, but up To going
to press none OF them have been can
tured.
The men sawed the Jail bars In
manner similar TO that employed by
the prisoners who escaped from the
Jail here about two years ago. The
opinion prevails that the men bv
soiCe unknown means got hold OF a
file and case knife, the latter being
used i'm serving the meals TO the un-
fortunates, and by systematic and
vigilant work, which is said 10 have
been in progress two weeks, succeeded
in accomplishing the desired end
without the officials of the iaiI find
ing out their plans. Other prisoners i'm
the Jail, who were aware OF the inten-
tions OF the quartet, were warned up-
on pain OF death not To give informa-
tion to the jailer about the attempt
TO escape.
One other prisoner Graham, whose
privilege ii was TO follow the quartet
If he wished, is said TO have attempt
ed TO escape, but on account OF his |
size, Was unable TO get through the |
holetin the bars, even going so far as |
to remove his garments in vain at-
tempt to squeeze through. He denies |
this, and says he did not try to es-
cape, as he has no fear OF the charge |
against him.
The bars of the jail cell, the COM
position of which is familiar TO our |
readers, is said TO be file and saw |
proof, and 10 demonstrate this expert |
on matters of this kind have made |
close examinations and tests OF the |
bars and submitted to the authorities |
flattering reports, about the excellent |
material used In the construction of |
the cells. Most OF these so-called ex-
perts have received libelal COM
pensation for their services. A rep. |
resentative.of this paper WAS present
at an examination of a section of the |
bars about year ago, and several |
saws made for cutting material of
this kind were broken in.trying to
saw one of the bars. Inside of these |
bars is composition of steel, some
times in the center; other times near
the outer edge, which in the process
of making is rendered very brittle,
and II strcuk a hard blow, will
break like glass. 1t is said that this
is the method used in breaking some
OF the bars. The bars in the window,
the last To be reached by the pris-
oners, were broken. 1t is supposed
in manner similar to this by tying
one end of rope made from blankes
twisted together TO the bar in the
window, and securing the
other end to an movable object
nearly.
A rod was placed in he center OF
the blanket and twisted as much as
the blanket would stand; then
blow dealt the bar sought TO be
broken, the soft iron which had been
removed by file or saw, and the bar
is easily broken.
This means of escape, which seems
to be new discovery, would be dis
astrous to the most modern laiIs, if
the prisoners were given any oppor-
tunity at ali to equip themselves for
an adventure of this kind.
Jailer Fuller locked the prisoners
In their cells as usual on Saturday
night about nine O'Clock, and saw
nothing about their actions that at
tracted his attention.
Alb Caudill, who was arrested at
Graham for selling whiskey without
any license, is said to have spent a
portion OF the night with a relative
who lives on lower Tazewell Avenue.
Professor" Henry Miller, who