Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1913-09-05
PRISONER MAKES
HIS GETAWAY

jamestown, N. D., Sept. 2-The pris-
oner, J. B. Rogers, sent to the Suits.
man county Jail from Bismarck, man
aged to get free from the cell corri-
dor Friday night, and is now at large.
He made clever escape and effected
it by means of small table knife
which he had made into file or saw
by pressing the blade of the knife
against the sharp edge Of a screw
which held window fastener. With
the knife he reached through his cell
bars and sawed off one bar Of steel
that guards one Of the west windows
Of the second story Of the Jail. The
adjoining bar he also sawed off at the
bottom, but apparently. did not have
time to finish the job as he bent and
wrenched the bar sufficiently to allow
him to crawl through into the window
where a wire screen was cut through
the screen frama removed, and the
prisoner made his escape by tying a
blanket to one of the bars of the win
dow and descending from the second
story to the ground.
Rodgers was one of two men arrest
FED in Rlrleigh county on the charge
Of breaking into the postoffice and
robbing the safe at Mckenzie. He
has been in the stutsman county jail
for about week and has been lock-
ed in a cell each night until last
night when he made an excuse that
he expected visit from his attorney
whom he had seen during the day,
and asked to be allowed to remain in
the narrow corridor surrounding two
cells in order to talk to the lawyer in
the evening. Deputy Russell Wright
was alone in the jail until 9 O'Clock
when he was called away, and some
time during the night the prisoner
made his escape. His work Of pre-
raration had evidently been done be-
fore, and he only awaited the oppor-
tunity Of being in the corridor to
complete his escape. How he came in
to possession of the knife is net
known, but it is supposed he secured
it from some person within the Jail.
It was one of the children g knives,
and the blade was made into a saw
| with fine sharp teeth, and served as an
excellent cutting instrument fer even
the hardest of steel bars. The pris-
oner reached from the cell and partly
sawed of the bars, and when left
alone finished the job from the out
side Of the cell.
AS soon as the escape Of the prison
er was learned the police and con-
etables in various parts Of the state
we're notified by Deputies Rittigers and
Wright, also the United States mar
shal's office at Fargo, and every effort
will be made to recapture the prison
er. His description is as follows: He
is about 25 years of age, square jaw,
pag nose, sandy hair and complexion.
Stubby beard Of week g growth, feet
&c inches high, weighs 1853 pounds,
wore soft shirt and black belt, with
good brown suit Of clothes and tan
shoes.
1t was learned Saturday that the
other man, Rogers pal, charged with
the postoffice robbery at Mckenzie,
and whs was confined in the Burleigh
county Jail, had also made his escape
Friday night from the Jail. A reward
Of $50 has been offered for his cap
ture. He was somewhat similar in
description to Rogers. who escaped
from the Jail here, being 81 years
old, feet IL inches high, sandy
complexion and hair, weighs 10
pounds. 1t is singular coincidence
that both prisoners escaped the same
night. Rogers was being held here
to await hearing in the U. S. court.
The desperate determination Of both
men to escape Jail indicates their
guilt and that the officers had caught
The right men who robbed the Nc
Kenzie postohice. Although young
in years, the two are old timers in
crime and experts in burglarizing safes
and Jail breaking.