The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-26
A JAIL DELIVERY
Joe Higgins and Bert Miller
Pry Bars Off Cell Window.
This Is Second Delivery From
City Prison in Month.

The second Jail delivery in less than
| a week was accomplished at the city
prison Wednesday night. Joe Higgins
| and Bert Mills, two of the boys VINO
are being held for an investigation con-
/ corning the burglary at the Auditorium
! in April are the two characters
who gained their freedom At least
half dozen other prisoners refused
TO leave the Jail or were too large u
crawl through the opening. These ooys
made their escape by breaking off the
end of a steel bar and breaking an
other bar which was across the win
dows The delivery occurred about II
O'Clock Wednesday night, but Higgins
realizing that he had MADE
mistake. surrendered to Chief of Police
Morris G. Jenkins at about the same
hour this morning
The boys broke the bars by using
the leg of an old table in the main
corridor OF the prison They twisted
the leg off the table and but little
time was wasted in breaking away
the barriers which would permit them
to leave the prison and enjoy their NO.
erty. The work of breaking the par
riers was accomplished so easily Ihat
they did not make noise enough &c
Waken a number or the PRISONERS WIZ
We're asleep.
At least a half dozen other prisoners
were in the main corridor of the prison
but none of them would take adNahtaee
of the opportunity to escape Aho1S
these were George Bennett and Charles
Anderson. two other boys who are con-
nected with the burglary at the Audi
torfum. and a number for petty OIL
lenses.
Taller Al Hopkins and other members
of the police department VINO We're a
the police station last night iearheu
of the delivery about 10 o clock. All
officers were notified to watch for the
pair who made the escape
The other delivery was accomphsheu
last Sunday night when three boys WnC
were being held for the juvenile court
escaped by breaking a door and loch
in the woman's ward on the seconc
floor of the building These boys nave
not been heard from.
The two boys who made their escape
Wednesday night are two of the most
.desDerate characters that live in this |
ci+v and have police court records
Higgins was arrested by the ponce last
winter on the charge of graphing d
purse out of a womans mana WINE
on a dark street. The woman ldentlueo
t,e man but refused to prosecute MN
because she thought the offense was
SO insignificant and she did not want
70 he the cause of sending him to the
state prison for such small cffense:
He was caught by the police Few
weeks ago for burglarlzlng looln
q roomine house at 120 Monroe street |
on this occasion he stole tin oox
which was supposed to have contained |
more than $50 The same boy burglar
lied another house on the East sloe
LAST winter and escaped without pros
ec1Ition The police claim that tins |
county attorney was too lenlent IN TINS
matter. Higgins also was membel
Of the gang which was arrested last |
winter in which the Ruck Brothers
we're found in possession of large |
amount of stuff that had been taken
out of boxcars in the Santa Fe yards. /
All of this gang escaped prosecution.
Bert Mills, who escaped with Ing
gins. snatched a watch out of mans
hand on Seventh street, near the rail-
road wards last winter. He was ar
rested and after being turned over
to the state the county attorney al
lowed him to plead guilty to a petty
larceny charge and the boy was gwen
a short Jail sentence.
chief of Police Morris c. Jenkins
was not greatly surprised when he
learned of the jail delivery last night
He and the members of the police de-
nartm7nt realize that the prison is not
enuipped properly for the safekeeping
of prisoners. 1t was built about Sc
wears ago and the bars or other work
which is in the building for the safe
keeping of prisoners are not sufficient
to hold desperate and resourcefu1 men.
Vicious prisoners who the police suS-
meet of a desire to escape prosecution
for feIonious Offenses, are not kept in
this prison, but are transferred to the
county Jail Immediately after being ar
rested.