Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-04
ARMED PRISONERS,
CRAzED, SHOOT UP
MORR|STOWN JAIL
Pair Escape from Cell, Break
Into Keepers Office and
Steal Riot Gun.
TspeciaI TO the Newark star.I

MORRISTOWN, Nov. 1.-Two pris-
oners escaped from the room in which
they We're confined in the county jail
early today, drank quart of whiskey
stolen from the keepers desk, broke
open q closet and took out riot gun
loaded with seven shells and pro-
ceded to shoot up the Keepers office
Robert j. Carroll, a deputy sheriff
and son of Jail Keeper Edward Car
roll, was asleep in his apartments in
the Court House and was awakened
by the uproar. He hurried down
stairs to the jail and was saved from
being shot down by the two intoxi-
Gated prisoners only by the fact that
ton.
The two men are Eugene Sampson
of Butler, and John Burns, of Madl-
son, both committed Cor disorderly
conduct. With other prisoners held
for minor offenses they We're kept in
what is called the steel cage" q
separate room to the left of the keep
er's office and main Jail. There is an
oak door faced with sheet iron that
opens from their room into the keep
er's office.
The key had been left in the lock
on the keepers side of the door. II
had been pushed out on the floor, the
lock picked and then the men had
forced open the keepers desk The
whiskey had been taken from John
Bolend, who had been committed to
Jail from Morristown.
shoot Into Keepers Office.
rr. -. A. ,,,o,, f,,r,ad +bo;r oitaptinn
to the store-room to the right of the
keepers office. Picking the lock
they appropriated riot gun from a
lot in the room, but overlooked a
thousand rounds of ammunition on
the shelves. Going back into the steel
cages the men shot through the door
into the keepers office.
The shelves were loaded each with
seven double BIB shot There are
thirty-six holes in the door. Shots
tore up the floor and the ceiling of the
keepers office, the front of the medi-
cine cabinet was broken, one shot
passed through a window into the
store-room and out another window
small organ used for religious meet
ings was riddled.
Keeper Had Gone 10 Vote.
Keeper Carroll mad gone to Butter.
his home town. TO be on hand early
to vote. planning to return early to-
day.
Morris county only hires one
keeper. and Robert Carroll lives with
his father and assists him with the
work Hearing the shots down stairs
he ran down and locked the door of
the steel cages, then telephoned to
County Detective Edward Brennan
for help. The county detective hur-
ried to the Jail and at daylight the
officers entered the steel cages and
disarmed the prisoners.
They found the men drunk and
they were placed in solitary confine-
ment. The sheriff's house adjoins the
jail. and up to the regime of the
present sheriff. Whitfield B. Gillen,
that official was always on hand in
case of trouble. but Sheriff Gillen
makes his home in Dover and the
iail keepers family occupy the house.
The two men. though they made
their way to the keepers Office were
unable to make their escape from
the buildings their egress being effec-
tually barred.
The forty prisoners in the main jain
were set into turmoil by the shoot
ling hiit were safely locked in.