The Parker post., 1917-09-08
MYSTER|OUSLY
EVAP0RATED
TWO ALLEGED BOOTLEGGERS
CONFINED IN BRANCH COUNTY
JAIL, ESCAPE, LEAVING CELL
DOOR LOCKED BEHIND THEM.


wrought in Parker this week, the
likes of which has not been known
to have happened for nearly nine
teen hundred and eighteen years, to
which Constable John Roberts, as
the prototype of the Roman soldier
who guarded the sepulcher, and Mrs.
]. O'Connor as Mary" were living
witnesses, verifying the assertion
that history repeats itself"
On Friday evening of last week a
fine, siX-cylinder Hodson automobile
driven by two men, crossed on the
ferry, coming from the California
side, and Constable Roberts, who Is
also a special deputy u s. officer to
assist in suppressing the liquor traf-
fic on the reservation, was on the
spot at the time. With that intui-
tive knowledge or quick perception
born Of the shrewd detective, Rob-
erts at once 'siZed up the men in
charge of the car as bootleggers,
and, while they were having their
supply Of gasoline replenished pre-
paratory to leaving the ferry, placed
them under arrest. When Roberts
made known his business to them
one of the men tried to get into the
automobile, where it was afterward
found they had firearms secreted,
but was persuaded not to do so by
the menacing muZZle of the officers
gun.
The prisoners and their outfit
were brought to town and an exam
ination of the latter disclosed GIL
pint bottles of whiskey carefully
stored away in the auto and patri-
otically covered with an American
flag. They also had two guns and
two pistols, and two license numbers
for their car, one for California and
one for Arizona, showing that this
was not their first visit to this state.
The men gave their names as John
Corich and Willie Vlacia, both for
eigners and supposedly Austrians.
One spoke the English language we'll
but the other claimed he could not.
They were locked in the steel cell
at the branch coutny Jail, the outfit
and booty given in charge of Indian
Agent DuclOs, and the proper federal
authorities at Phoenix notified of
the arrest and instructed to come
and get the prisoners. After wait
ing twenty-fOur hours with no res
pOnse from Phoenix, Agent Duclos
sent wire to the authorities, when
an answer came stating that the U.
S. marshal was preparing warrant
This was the last heard from them
until an officer arrived on Monday
nights train--three days after the
arrest
The prisoners were still in their
cell at O'Clock Monday evening,
the last time Roberts saw them, but
when he unlocked the cell door at
z o'clock Tusday morning to intro
duce them to the Phoenix officer,
no vestige of them was there-they
had disappeared like vapor, leaving
behind only the empty cell with the
door still securely locked.
Now had these prisoners been
righteous men instead of malefac-
tors, and dead instead of alive when
they were locked within that steel
cell, the mysterious disappearance
ON the third day-would not have
been surprising to scriptural stu
dents, as the bible cites a precedent
for just such a phenomenal disap-
pearance, and from just such a place
Of confinement. But these men
were alive. When they partook
of the last supper" brought to
them by Mrs. O'Connor of the City
Restaurant, on the evening of the
third day. they seemed in extra
good spirits and discussed the menu
not as if it were the sacrament
but with a gustO or manner that
would convince even the most skep-
teal Doubling Thomas that they
were not only "in the flesh" but
very much alive with no serious
apprehensions for the future.
The locks to the Jail are of the
Yale pattern and not of a kind that
can be opened with any old key,
besides 1t would be a physical i'm
possibility for any human being to
even reach that particular lock from
the inside of the cell Constable
Roberts is ''up a stump" for solu-
ttOn Of the problem, but the only