The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-08-17
SOAPED BODY TO
ESCAPE COUNTY
JAIL IN STORM
DR.. Young's Escape Frustra-
ted by Sheriff
HutSOn.
HAD PLANNED FLIGHT
FOR WEEK, is THOUGHT
Wrapped Clothes in Bundle
Had Saved Food for Week
Contemplating Escape.

[ An attempt made by j. H. Young,
an aged prisoner in the county Jail, to
make his escape, was frustrated yes
terday morning by Sheriff Hutson and
John Hoffman,, citizen, living near
the Jail. He had already crawled
through a hole in his cell and had
reached the hallway when the sheriff
and his informant reached the prison.
After short struggle the prisoner
was placed in special cell, which was
doubly locked in order to prevent an
other escape.
Hoffman,, who lives within a few
feet of the county Jail, was awakened
shortly after 4 o'clock by loud noise.
After investigating he found that 1t
came from the county Jail and hurried
to the home of the sheriff, anticipat-
ing the attempt of a prisoner to make
his escape.
When the two men reached the jail
they found Young, who terms HIM
self doctor" in the hallway. He was
without any clothing, and had sOaped
his body in order to make it possible
to slip through the small opening he
had discovered at the top of his cell.
The opening had been made by ne
gro prisoner some years ago, when he
attempted to escape from Jail.
The doctor" had tied his clothes
in bundle, together with some bread
| and butter and other food that he had
saved during the week. He had thrown
the clothes through the opening into
the hallway. After dressing the pris
| oner the men put him in the special
cell.
An investigation made by Sheriff
| Hutson revealed that the prisoner had
already beaten small hole in the out
side wall. near the corner of a Win
dow. Owing to the heavy thunder and
rain the sound of his hammering was
almost inaudible. 1t was not until the
thunder began to cease that Hoffman,
heard the noise. and he Immediately
called the sheriff.
Beneath the place where the hole
over the window was found. lay a
number of burned matches. From all
| indications the prisoner had planned
% escape for some time and had saved
The matches which he procured under
the pretense of wanting to light his
cigars.
Or" Young has been in the coun-
y Jail since last may, when he was
arrested on charge of defrauding
! young man of 500. He was SEN
.enced to two years in the State Peni-
tertiary but appealed the sentence and
s now awaiting the decision of the
Supreme Court.
| Fred Sherman, his former secretary.
who was sentenced on the same
charge. was held with the aged man
in the same cell until he asked the
sheriff to be placed in separate cell
as the companionship of the doctor"
Vas unbearable for him. Since he has
been imprisoned Or" Young has
caused the sheriff considerable trouble
and has kept the other prisoners in
suspense during that time
| Several weeks ago the sheriff was
attacked by the aged prisoner after
the officer had been called into his
cell under the preteXt of looking after
the waterpipe. The sheriff said he
was slugged by the prisoner as he
bent over to see whether the pipe was
leaking. The prisoner was subdued
after hard struggle.
1t is said by the attaches of the
county jail that OR" Young had in
ficted several wounds on his face and
on his arms to create the impression
that he had been mistreated. Other
prisoners say that the aged man con-
| tinually screams and calls for help,
denouncing everybody for his present
lplight.