The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-08-19
ESCAPED
From The Knox Co. Jail Did
Charles SuttIeS
By Pushing Out Section Of
Crumbling Wall
SuttIes Goes At Once To His
Old Home
And Is Located By Sheriff
P. ]. Parker
But Prisoner Makes His
Escape In Woods

Knox county's crumbling jail, unsafe
and unsanitary, was the scene of Jail
delivery early Thursday morning and
as a result Charles Suttle, one of the
worst criminals confined in the coun-
ty jail for many day made good his
escape.
AS near as can be learned the Jail
delivery occurred shortly after the
midnight hour. There were five pris-
oners confined in Jail at the time, but
Suttles was the only one who. made
his escape.
1t is evident that Suttles had been
working night or two in getting
$ ready for the Jail delivery, but the
other prisoners in Jail claim that they
did not hear him working at night
and to Banner reporter all stated
they were asleep when Suttles made
Nhis escape early Thursday morning.
Escape Was Easy
The point where Suttles made his
escape is located at the south side
of the Jail. The boards in the floor
were removed from under the sink
and once under the floor it was an
easy matter for the man to gain his
liberty as all there remained to do
was to dig away the old crumbling
walls and this probably did not re-
quire very long time. If Suttles
had help from the outside, and there
is some indication he did, it took but
a very short time to take the bricks
out of the wall and if he did the work
all himself he could probably accom-
plish it in two nights. There was
no cement or anything under the floor
and all Suttles had to do was to kneel
on the dirt floor of the cellar and re-
move the bricks from the south wall.
AS has been stated this was very
easy as the walls are almost crumb-
ling away. The hole which SUIT
ties dug in the wall was little over
a foot square, but the prisoner was OF
slight build and he probably had lit
tie difficulty in squirming through
the aperture.
May Had Assistance
It is almost impossible to tell wheth-
er or not Suttles had any assistance
from the outside in making his sue
cessful escape. The bricks in the wall
were all pulled back under the floor
in the Jail. There are certain marks
on the bricks on the outside of the
wall that might indicate some instru-
ment had been used on the outer wall
Of the building, but this is specula-
ton. There is one circumstance that
would indicate Suttles had assistance
from outside and that is no tools OF
any kind could be found with which
he tore out the brick wall. No knives
were missing when his meals were
sent in and it is impossible to figure
out Just how he removed the bricks
in the wall.
other Prisoners "Mum"
The four remaining prisoners in the
county Jail don't talk very much in
regard to Suttle's escape. Samuel
Beaman states that the first he knew
anything about the escape was when
he was awakened from his sleep by
Sheriff Parker standing over him and
asking where Suttles was. Suttles
cot was adjoining that OF Beaman
Another prisoner said he had Deen
sleeping upstairs and heard nothing
until Sheriff Parker aroused the
prisoners and said that there mad
been a Jail delivery. The other two
prisoners stated that they were ASLEEP
when the escape took place. One OF
the prisoners stated to Banner rep
resentative that he was of the opin
ion Suttles had been at work In re
moving the bricks for two nights past
as he slept all day yesterday and the
day before.
Sheriff In Pursuit
According to the other prisoners II
iail it was some time between mid
night and 1880 o'clock when Suttlei
made his escape. The 12:4O train OF
the c., A. & C. railroad was whist
ling in when Sheriff Parker left the
iail in search of the prisoner. Lat
er the sheriff was Joined by Deputy
Sheriff Woolison in the search. l
was thought that Suttles might hav'