Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1911-08-17
\ birds at lewiston Frustrated
in Escape.
CULPRH LEADER
|.l...e Would Have Meant Liber-
y for Four from Here.

On last Thursday jail break from
J Nezperce county jail was frus-
.ted by the timely discovery Of Sam
vlsr, the jailer, who had issued an
H. on that day that the felony
,;sners be confined in the Paulet
81 cell until the corridors had been
.rhed. The search revealed ex-
niye cutting about the ventilator
q n . short time a number of the
r;nners would have secured their
berty. The ring-leader of the gang
. Bert Frye, the young man who
9 arrested some time ago for the
urelsry Of stores at Cottonwood and
teonenberg and who acted the part
/ an unsophisticated youth during
be preliminary and at the time told
story Of how he had come to Idaho
buuty to work in the harvest fields
nd earn a sum Of money with which
furnish home for . prospective
ride and Of meeting another party
ho had suggested the robbery Of
tores as means Of securing the money.
Be stated his partner, who was an old
riminal, had gone to Spokane where
was to meet him and divide the
lunder. However, the general opinion
/ the Idaho county officers was that
picking up Frye they had secured
case-hardened criminal and it seems
hey we're right IN their conclusions.
While confined in the Idaho county
Ill before his removal to Lewiston,
esecured saw and was attempting
, saw his way out when the jailer
aught him in the act. Later he
pade an effort to pry the bars from
he window Of the lavatory but was
aught and locked up until his re-
poval to Lewiston. In speaking Of
be attempted escape from the Nez-
perce Jail the Lewiston paper says:
The ventilator is located in the
eiling above the Pauley steel cage
md can easily be reached by persons
handing on the cage. For the past
CIV weeks the prisoners have had a
punching bag attached to the venti-
ator and Jailor Oylear and Deputy
Rice have noted the bag has been lit
le used except at times they were in
hej Jail or approaching the grated
doors from the sherif7s office. Their
uspicious were further aroused by
he applications Of a number Of the
prisoners to have their hats in the
all and Wednesday a thorough search
pf the Jail was made but nothing
unusual was discovered.
Wednesday evening when the pris
pners charged with felony ofenses wer'
ordered into the steel cage it wa
noted that Bert Frye, charged will
Dulglarizing stores at COTTONWOOD
md Steunenberg was not in evidenc
put when his name was called tn
O'aer cage prisoners reported hin
present. Jailer Oylear was not salts
pea 70 ordered Frye to show himsel
the cage door and when he did no
respond, search Of the jail was Oh
oefed. Frye appeared on the top Q
'ne cage and stated that he had bee
Asleep on one Of the cots placed ther
l0d did not know the call to the Gag
aad been made. The matter was a
- lowed to rest for the night but NOR
thorough search Of the jail was decit
= upon before the prisoners wei
morning.
Inc plan adopted for cutting tt
neavy steel in the ventilator was
most ingenious one and is entirely ne
|" .o 1ne 9 officers here. Wrapping twin
s.Aen from the grocery packages d
aseled in the jail had been soake
J a1d and then filled with the shal
quartz % sand picked from the brio
. aus Of the Jail. The twine was the
.shled hard until its surface fair
s.s'led Sd with the sharp sand and
NAV ua@lng the twine across the hea,
,sssl ns.. At the ventilator opening, Il
,lo'.,' IIons obstructing the passage we
''0xly cut away.
v...:. - developed yesterday at the
hss h.'satlon that the punching bag b
A. mn used only as a rule to provi
~ excuse for the presence of t
r PRISONERS at the ventiiator and that
u oo mad been maintained in
.suor uor to warn the workers at
is.vsc1 ina ~ q OF the officers. The pour
y the bag would then be co