The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-02-05
Dash for Liberty Frustrated by
Watchfulness of Sheriff
Fraser.
DESPERATE MURDERER WAS
LEADER In LATEST EFFORT
Wilson Alias Russell Removed t.
Secure Jail at Mound City and
Pat in "Mprderer's Cage"

The activity and vcrsimilitude OF
a real Jail delivery in which sixteen
desperate crooks pining1 to breathe
unhamperei the vibrant air filled
at present with the "tawnS" of
winter, was frustrated Yesterday
noon by the eternal watchfulness
Of Sheriff Fraser and his deputies.
Of course the leader Of the 'spat-
riots signing and pining for sweet
"libertce' was the double murderer,
VIII Wilson alias Will Russell
awaiting trial for the killing of De-
tective Thomas Logan, and wanted in
OHIO where he escaped from the Co
nmbus nenitentiary where he was
doing a life time bit for the MUIR
dec OF Nicklc Plato Railroad orri-
cor in 1911.
The sang worked on the north
west corner of the steel cage and
had, by saving three sides, made an
aparture about fourteen inches
square in the steel plating on the
north side OF the cell. The plate
stu remained in the arerature when
the discovery was iaado, wedges h.
ing placed in the lower edge whna
%st oial would haNa been forced
back similar 10 The manner made III
the opening of a sardlnc can.
The work had been very neatly
done with a saw which had been
passed TO the prisoners but which
after thorough search by the sher-
if and deputies could not be found
either on the persons of the pris-
oners or in the cells where no doubt
il was hidden, either in the blankets,
beddins, or perhaps, down sink
pipe.
A third degree" effort was made
upon the prisoners in an endeevoc 10
ascertain who was the leader and
who participated in the work hut
every one of'the 1G declared lack of
knowledge.
In order to prevent any future at
tempts and to make sure of his rris-
oners, Sheriff Fraser took Wilson
alias Russell out of the insecure
county Jail, placed him heavily
ironed in charge OF Deputy Sheriffs
O'Donnell and Childrcss with IN
strnctions TO take the desperate te
prisoner to Pulaski county aud
there place him in the new. strong
and secure jail at Mound City.
The trio leaving here at $500
o'ciock arrived in Mound City on
the 5:35 lnterurban turned the
prisoner over to Sheriff Wehrenberg.
who placed him in the strongest cell
in tho new establishment. This Is
known as the "Murderer's Gage"
and is guaranteed by the manufat-
turars TO hold secure any one in
carcerated in 1t until such time as
the inmate is released by outside
agents.
In the effort to escape the pri5-
oners evidently received assistance
from some one who had access 10
the Jail cells, probably some one on
the inside The saw used was nOt
one OF the ordinary hack saw kind
with frame hut stin bladcd az
fair, perhaps made out of the steel
shank usually found in cheap shoes,
but there must have been another
instrument, drill or file which was
used in first making hole through
the heavy steel plate so the saw
could be inserted and put TO work.
once in the corridor surrounding
the cells it would have been a very
easy matter to have dug a hole
through the brick wall last night In
an hour and then with the openins
a sure and clean getaway would
have resulted.