Imperial Valley press., 1915-08-19
Five Escape in Daring
Jail Break; 3 at Large

What might have been a wholesale
jailbreak, resulting in totally empty
ing the county Jail, was thwarted last
night by the accidental discovery of a
man fleeing across the lot adjoining
the Jail by Deputy Sheriff Harry
Barker.
Barker captured one man, Delphino
Meriez, after chase of several blocks.
and Sheriff Applestill and Deputy
Sheriff Kendrick apprehended Bob
Brooks just as he was about to cross
the international boundary line. Three
other prisoners are still at large. Of
ficers are still securing the country
and patrolling the line, but up to a
late hour this morning no report of
the capture of any of the other fugi-
tives has been received.
The prisoners who escaped, of
them for only a short time, are: Bob
Brooks, wanted in Oklahoma on
charge of selling mortgaged property;
Delphino Meriez, a Mexican charged
with an assault OH a fellow country
man with knife and barefoot burglar
suspect; Oscar Burns, awaiting trial
in the Superior court on a charge of
larceny; Joe Hernandez, a Mexican
serving a Jail sentence on a petty
larceny charge; George Carter,
CaleXico hop-head serving Jail SEN
tence.
Deputy Sheriff Barker, acting COM
imissariat, in the absence of Jaier
Cummings, had just returned from a
trip to the cookhouse and was stand
ing in the alley. His attention was at
tracted by a man walking rapidly
across the lot adjoining the Jail
His suspicious were aroused and he
hasCened to the corner of the building,
arriving just in time to see Delphino
Meriez preparing to decamp and the
body of another man half protruding
through the hole in the masonry.
iiS oilpubtl ii wal illlS W Oluti VI
ficers who were sitting in front of the
Jail and Immediately gave chase to
Meriez who fled almost before the
warning had bee sounded
Barker was without a weapon OF
any kind and although the Mexican
measures barely 5 feet he headed a
chase that led for several blocks
through backyards and alleys.
The officer overlook his quarry in
the vicinity of the Barbara Worth
Hotel and the prisoner surrendered
himself without attempting to resist
and was led back to the county Jail
Other officers, as soon as the alarm
had been given, rushed into the Jail
and marched the prisoners into the
tanks while other deputy sheriffs
stood guard over the hole in the wall.
Sheriff Applestill and Deputy Sher-
iff Kendrick instituted a search toward
the boundary line after deputy sher-
ifs had secured the outskirts of town
without finding any trace of the fugi-
tives.
Brooks was captured several hours
after his escape just as he was about
to cross the international boundary
line into Mexico. Deputy Sheriff
Johnson was stationed at st. Thomas
hospital, where Mrs. Brooks and child
are confined, in the belief that Brooks
would attempt to see his wife before
leaving the country. Mrs. Brooks was
brought to the hospital yesterday.
The jailbreak was carefully planned
by the ringleaders in the conspiracy
and every precaution taken to prevent
the officers from learning of the pro-
posed delivery.
Operations for the break for free
dom were begun at 10 yesterday morn
ing and at 8 in the afternoon only
few bricks stood between the workers
and freedom.
Armed with pipe which had been
wrenched from the plumbing in the
jail, the Jail breakers worked leisurely
to remove the masonry, relieving one