Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-11


nous fortunes by wrecking large prop
critics that they always have a lawyer
ct their elbows TO advise them that
they shall keep within the law. It
would have been well for James Max
son had be done the same. The differ
ence between Maxson and these men
is that they are rogues putting them
selves without the pale OF the law,
while Maxson was an honest man put
ting himself in position where the
law was obliged to punish him.
MaxSon was a banker, a young man
not over thirty. with lovely wife and
two beautiful children. whom be
adored. Without knowing that he was
doing so he violated the national bank
ing law and was sent TO prison for ten
years. The parting with his wife and
children was narrowing beyond meas
ure. He felt that to serve the whole
of his term would break him down
completely and he would not live to
rejoin them. A number of very strong
friends accompanied him to the prison
doors, and all told him that if there
was anything they could do for him to
command them. Maxson begged them
to assist him to escape. and they prom
Used to do so.
Two of them, Woodruff and Somers.
met the same evening at Mrs. Max
sons house 70 form a plan on which to
set the husband and father at liberty.
1t was agreed that Mrs. Maxson. who
could easily gain access TO the prison.
should interest some of the officials
there in her case and induce them
either through sympathy or by bribery
to assist her husband to get out of the
penitentiary Enclosure.
The formation of a plan Of escape
made a wonderful difference both to
the prisoner and his family. The
easiest way to turn child from dis
appointment is to divert his mind with
the promise of something to take the
place of the object coveted. The man
is but the grown child. 1t was COM
paratively easy for Maxson to endure
his captivity so long as his mind was
occupied with and his hopes were GEN.
tered on his escape
On her second visit to her husband
she began to study the officials there
with a view to selecting one or more
of them to interest in her case. Max
son, being much broken down in health
at his entrance into the prison, sue
ceeded in getting himself transferred
to the hospital. There Mrs. Maxson
while visiting him made the acquaint-
ance of Thomas Boyle, hospital ward
en-, man with a kind disposition.
She took pains to tell him the story of
her husbands incarceration-how If he
had managed certain financial transac-
tons in different way from what he
did he would have been still a respect
ed banker instead of a felon. Then
she told him of the wreck Of their hap
py home. how their two little children
were constantly asking when papa
was coming back to them. of her own
distress. In this way she won the
mans sympathy. and finally by offer
ing to make him independent in case
he would contrive TO get her husband
beyond the prison walls she captured
him to her purpose
Boyle thought the matter over and
decided upon taking in an assistant.
A night Waterman named Hunter had
access to the main office room OF the
prison where was kept key that must
be obtained or duplicated before there
would be any hope of getting Maxson
out OF the prison building. Boyle told
Mrs. Maxson 70 eudeavor 70 interest
Hunter In the plan by Offering him a
large sum Of money. She succeeded.
and after she had done so Boyle COM
with Hunter, and they
formed a plan together TO get Max
SON out of the building and into the
prison yard. There they were TO assist
him to scale the walls. and he was to
be met by his friends on the other side.
The key required was to open Max.
sons cell. II hung on a nail IN the
safe. Hunter could get 10
here only when the garden was pres
ant. TO take the key from the nail and
not return 1t immediately would have
revealed the fact that Maxson was to
De permitted to escape. Hunters OBJ
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