The Glenwood post., 1912-04-27
HAS ANYBODY
HERE seen RILEY?
Not |, Says Perry Ma|aby Who
Found Door Locked and a
Dummy in the Bed
NO TRACE OF PRISONER

1t is not "Mr. Riley they speak of
so highly nor yet "Mr. Riley who
keeps the hotel,' but just plain George
Riley, ex-convict, late of Canon City,
later still of Hotel de Jessup, Glen
wood Springs, and whose address at
this present moment is unknown owing
to the shrinking modesty of the afore-
said Mr.. Riley who shuns publicity and
the gaze of the curious crowds.
Mr.. Riley, in company with four
other defendants, was convicted by a
jury last Sunday morning of larceny
of a lot of merchandise from Borst
Brothers store in this town couple
months ago. Not caring to fight the
case further and by any technical
stunts postpone the inevitable, Riley
appeared before the court Tuesday
afternoon and took his sentence which
was from fifteen months to two Yeas
in the state pcnitentiary.
Wednesday Riley, whose health IS
not good at any time, complained Of
feeling badly and a physician was call
ed to prescribe for the man. He ad-
vised that Riley be separated from the
other men and allowed to sleep in the
outer corridor as there were some evil
dcnces of contagious disease and this
order was made that Riley might have
better care and as matter of pro
lection to the other prisoners against
possible serious results.
Accordingly Riley was put in the
outer room or corridor with his cot n
one of the back cells which was un-
locked and opening INTO this outside
corridor.
About 10 clock Sheriff Jessup, who
had had very strenuous day, went to
his room and retired for the night.
Undersheriff Malaby went down to the
Rio Grande station to consult with
District Attorney Gentry concerning
some court business. He returned il
one hour and found the door to the
Jail office unlocked. He thought very
strange of this as he remembered dis
dinctly locking it when he and Mr..
Jessup went out. However, he thought
possibly Jessup had gone back into the
office and that he might have neglect
ed to lock the door on going out. Ev-
erything looked natural inside, but he
= 1, 10
Entering the outer court and approach
ing Riley's bed, he concluded that the
prisoner was in bed and asleep as the
covers were arranged to look as though
they covered human form. But a
closer examination easily convinced
Mr.. Malaby that Riley was not in his
bed, neither was he in the room nor
| about the premises. In short, he had
vamoosed.
Although Riley had been gone less
| than an hour when Malaby made his
discovery and although the wires were
worked in every direction and officers
in all nearby towns put on their guard,
stimulated by reward of $25, not
the faintest sign or clue to the missing
Riley has up to this time been dis
covered. The other prisoners were
soundly sleeping in their cell hunks
absolutely unnindful of the escape Of
their partner in crime. They declared
that they neither heard nor saw any
| tbipu ,f nd 1i Il
not know that Riley had flown nor that
he had any intentions of attempting to
escape until Malaby told them what
had happened.
1t has been the custom of the sheriff
and his dcpnty to keep the big brass
key to the big iron door either lying
on the desk or in one of the pigeon
hole boxes in the desk which sits just
to the south of the big door. In in-
vestigating the means of escape en-
ployed by Riley it was discovered that
he found a broomstick in the corridor
and to this he fastened piece of cop
per wire, bending the same into hook
and by reaching his hand out through
the grating of the big door he was
able to drag the key up to the doc,
which he then easily unlocked.
Once in the office it was only neces
sary for Riley to turn the lock and lie:
himself out into the hall and ther
walk out Of the front door and 60 hi.
way. If the Office had been fastened
with spring lock it is possible MAI b,
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