The Glenwood post., 1917-05-12
Bill Marsh When Confronted
BY MiIitiamen is Made to
Put Up His Dukes"
NOW KEPT IN Cell

Last week ) issue oI tne ToSt gave :"
brief account of sensational jailbreak
by N. IL. (BilD Marsh, prisoner placed
in the local Jail for safe keeping by the
authorities of Rio Blanco county, where
Marsh is to be tried by jury in the
district court next September on
double charge of horse stealing and
burglary.
Two prisoners have for some time
been confined in the Garfield county
Jail, both sent here from other coun-
ties, William Smith, arrested in Eagle
county last fall and held under a
charge of shooting railroad brakeman,
and Marsh, arrested in Rio Blanco
county after several hours standing off
a sheriff's posse which pursued him al
most to Utah.
Sheriff Fravert and Undersheriff Ma
honey have been allowing these men
the freedom of the corridor, one at 3
time, and last Friday afternoon while
Mr.. Mahoney was busy in the office
Marsh was let out into the corridor
while Smith was kept locked in the
cell. Having occasion to go into the
assessors office for few minutes, Mr..
Mahoney locked the outside door to the
Office as usual and when he returned
he put the key in the door and turned
the lock, as he supposed, but in this
he was evidently mistaken.
However, he did not notice that the
door was unlocked and he entered the
office and would have resumed his
work without the least suspicion hal
he not observed that one of the draw.
ers of the office desk was open. This
was the drawer in which two or three
pairs of handouts were kept. On top
Of these was a 44-caliber revolver, the
best of several kept in the office. Ma
honey at once noticed that this gun
was missing.
Mr.. Mahoney and Charles Gilmer
made hasty examination of the prem
ises and discovered that Marsh had es-
capped. The iron door to the corridor
was closed and locked as usual and tn,
big brass key was found in its GUS
tomary place in the left upper drawer
of the desk. All of this led to the al
most certain conclusion that Marsh had
escaped through the aid of confed-
crate. But this conclusion proved err
roneous, as future developments dem
onstrated.
Deputy sheriffs and city marshals
throughout the county were at once
notified and posses were quickly or
ganized for the capture of the criminal.
Tracks were found leading westward
toward the mountains, apparently
tracks made by two men travelling at
a lively rate. This strengthened the
belief that Marsh had been freed by
an accomplice.
Very early Saturday morning a tele-
phone message was received saying that
the prisoner had been caught at shc-
shone by the Colorado militiamen
guarding the power plant. Sheriff
Fravert had an automobile ready and
as soon as possible was at the camp of
the soldier boys where he faced Marsh
who was trembling with fear and IA
tigue and who turned ashen white at
the sight of the sheriff. The prisoner
was soon landed again in the Jail and
the corridor exercise has been eliminat-
ed from the daily program.
After his. nerves had quieted some.
what Marsh consented to talk and he
then told just how he made his get
away. He took an old mop, that was
used in the corridor, and Strengthened
out the wire Of the frame, making
hook on one end. Pushing this out
through the grating Of the iron door
he pushed open the desk drawer In
which was kept the big key to the cor.
ridor. Then with the hook he lifted
the key out and drew it to him and
soon placed 1t in the lock and opened
the door. Once in the office he had
only to turn the lock to the front door
and let himself out in the hall which
opens on the street
q -