The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-03
ANDERSON TRIES
TO ESCAPE JAIL;
Iron BAR FOUND
HIDDEN IN CELL
.Wrenched Bunk Brace
Loose and Concealed It
Under His Mattress
DOESN'T KNOW
OF CONFESSION
Has Not Been Informed
That Alleged Pail Has
Told of Killing

Fred Anderson, charged with
numbering George Sheffield, Great
Northern night agent in Moorhead
and whose alleged companion, Fred
Warner, has confessed participation
in the night robbery and blames An
derson for the killing, made plans to
attempt an escape from the Clay
county Jail in Moorhead, 1t became
known today.
Several days ago. an iron bunk
brace was found concealed under the
mattress in Anderson's cell, the brace
having been worked loose by the
prisoner, and was discovered by
Sheriff Dan Mcdonald while search
ing the cell.
The brace in question was riveted
to both the steel wall and the bunk,
and the prisoier had worked 1t loose
by continual wrenching.
The sheriff declared today that IL
must have required many hours of
persistent effort to accomplish the
result.
Anderson has been confined In a
solitary cell since he was bound over
to the grand jury and has not been
allowed to receive visitors or mingle
with the other prisoners. He has not
been told Of the confession Of Warn
er.
Young Women Identity Warner.
OfficiaIs some time ago learned
that two young women who were at
the Great Northern depot few min
utes before the Sheffield murder,
positively identified Warner as
the man who twice looked out Of
the window at them. They left be-
cause he had such a mean look, "
they said. Chief Of Police Malvey
learned that the two young women
were at the depot that night through
one of the other witnesses in the
case.
The women are Misses Pearl L.
Moeckel and Iona Barnes, both of
Fargo. They visited the Jail with
Chief Malvey and without hesitation
positively identified Warner as the
man who looked at them through the
window the night Of the murder.
knowledge Of his identification
evidently led Warner to decide TO
confess for the second day after the
goung ason ~ q s,.l's' = z E1.rE
60 TO the county jail to receive his
Confession. Sheriff Mcdonald was
consulted and the officers and attor-
ney held a conference with County
Attorney Dosland at his office when
it was decided to at once accept the
confession. At the jail when Warner
told his story there were present
Chief Dahlgren and Sergeant sgd
ness Of Fargo. and Deputy Sheriffs
Mcdonald and NolIken. The state
ment was taken oown by Court Re-
porter Hagen and was later signed
by Warner
Warner told of the visit to the de-
pot two or three days before the
murder and the laying Of the plans
for the holdup. He told in detail OF
their operations the night Of the
murder. His statement included the
story Of his holding up and robbing
Of Night Baggageman NJ. H. Rhea
and the two passengers in the wait
ing room while Anderson was hold
ing up the two men in the ticket Of
fice. George Sheffield and r. T..
Lesser.
According to Warmers confession
he heard a shot fired while he was
holding up the three men in the
waiting room. When he turned he
saw Anderson leaning through the
registry window and saw him fire the
second and third shots. He also heard
Anderson tell Ehefleld TO turn
around" and after ne had shot him,
his order to Lesser to bring over the
cash box. When this was done he
helped himself to the money, getting
$33. while Anderson took about $40.
Warner described the 3S CALI
bre revolver used by Anderson
the night Of the murder, and
identified the clothing said to have
been worn by Anderson that night.
He told of his return to the Dacotah
hotel, Fargo, by way of the south
bridge and how Anderson arrived at
their room about an hour later.
As they left the depot waiting
room Warner claims that Anderson
said IL was too bad he had to kill
the old man. On the way over that
night he says Anderson threatened
to burn" him IL he didn't stay
through the holduD.
Warner told OF his trip to Minne-
apolis where he pawned part of the
loot from the Reynolds robbery, and
of his return to st. Cloud where he
was arrested by Chief Of Police
fCoutinued on mage 10.)