The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-02-09

inside they could raise the brush end
under the brick and rake it out of the
hole into the room The brick was
then pulled up to the bars or within
arms reach. and worked through the
bars. In the side of this brick recess
was made with nail to fit the pat
tern of the key.
The men claim they got their pat
tern first by working the inside of a
biscuit until it became like dough and
pressing it over the key hole, This
gave them the size of the hole, also
the size of the plug in the center Of
the hole, for the lock required a hollow
key Then with wire they measur-
ed the depth. The shanks on the key
were made blank
With the mold made the men used
solder they had melted from tin cans
they had secured by buying canned
goods which were sent in to them. In
this way they nodded blank key
that was almost perfect duplicate OF
the original. They then blacked the
key with burnt matches. placed it in
the keyhole and by turning il they
could get the marks on the side, show
ing where the notches must be filed.
In this way q perfect key was made,
but 1t was of too soft a metal.
That this was true was shown by
the following letter. found in the sock
of Coughran when he was searched
this morning,
You will find a lead key with my
things. Please make one out OF steel
or iron and deliver me on the sly, and
| will get out OF jail and escape: also
give me few dollars. Get Stand
| ridge or some one to make the key If
you cannot make 1t. Do this as soon
as possible. want out. No one will
ever suspicion you.
You must use your Judgment; you
can make key by doubling thin
piece OF steelor iron; don't make the
hole in the end any larger than the
model, and make ii as deep. II you
cannot do this get someone that will
do to trust to help. Probably might
get to Mt. Ida If that would be any
better to get help. Talk with one or
two on this. You can hand anything
in as | hand out. in socks.
would much prefer giving bond,
but that seems to be failure, and
don't think to escape for awhile would
affect the final trial. cannot hold up
in here until next court. and cannot
| find out anything, and | don't know
what to do, but at present am anx-
ious to escape for awhile.
We are being eaten with lice and
complaint does no good.
The letter bears no date or address,
but was in an envelope addressed to
j. K. Jamison, Helen. Ark, who is
son-in-law Of Coughran.
Third Attempt at Key Making.
From its worn condition this letter
probably has been written sometime,
but unable to get it and the lead pat
tern sent out the men made third
Iattempt at making key.
This time they cut a piece of steel
from thin ventilator door in one OF
the cells and had bent it to round
tube Of the correct size, leaving the
projection in which the notches were
to be filed TO make them fit the lock.
They we're fling on this when caught
Tuesday morning.
To reach the lever inside the locker
bog riyet had been cut off from the
inside Of the cell which made hole
into the box. BY using a wire to give
the first pull on this lever, and then
the stove poker to push it back again,
the door could have been opened.
! Had the men been left to their
work little more time. just enough
more, 70 complete the filing on this
third key, they would have been able
to have turned themselves loose and
made their escape.
jackson and Meadows. who have
been in Jail since December 26 and
are being held to the grand jury upon
a charge Of stealing some hides from
Dick Johnson. South Mena street
dealer, take the defeat Of their plans
good naturedIy and talk and joke
about the whole affair.
Coughran, who is under death sem
tence. shows his disappointment
greatly. He admits he was working
on the attempt to escape, and the
other men say he was taking the lead
and they we're assisting.
Jackson claims he directed most
of the work and Meadows said the
only trouble was the old man (mean-