The copper era and Morenci leader., 1918-02-22
MAKES KEY IN JAIL
 UNLOCKS DOOR ID LIBERTY
While Sheriff Slaughter and Dep uties on Man Hunt in Chirica- hua Mountains Prisoners Break Jail Monday Night.

Three Mexican prisoners, convicted last week and given terms in the penitentiary, gained their liberty last Monday by saving a bar in one of the windows and fleeing to parts un- known. The jail delivery was not discovered until Tuesday morning when the jailer looked in to see if all was well with his boarders. What he saw was an empty cage instead of his expected jail inmates. On re- tiring for the night it is the custom to lock all the prisoners in the cage, allowing them the liberty of the in- terior corridor and each others cells. He found the cage still locked and that the birds had flown.
 Those who escaped were Valeriano Macias, who was the first defendant convicted at this term of court, and sentenced to serve term of from one to three years. Macias was convict ed for resisting arrest, being one of the leaders in the recent riots that occurred here last year.
 The second escaped prisoner being Efren Flores of Metcalf, who was convicted for rape and sentenced to serve term of from twenty to twenty-five years.
 The third being Manuel Sanchez, convicted for robbery, and sentenced to serve from five to six years.
 All three were convicted last week, and Sanchez was not sentenced until Monday, and secured his liberty Monday night.
 For a time the jailer and Under sheriff Ben Sturges were at a loss to know how they escaped from the cage, but the mystery was soon re- veaied when the handle of an ordf- nary table spoon was found lying on the floor near the entrance to the cage. This spoon was sawed away from the bowl of the spoon so as to leave protruding edges on each side. This was made to fit the lock, and although the fastening was a modern three-tumbler lock it was found that this improvised key would throw the tumblers. After gaining the run around, outside of the cages, to effect their exit from the enclosure was a matter of little effort to one who had displayed such ingenuity in fashion ing key from such a crude instru- ment, as an ordinary spoon, that would work in modern lock. The outside windows of the jail are pro- tected by ordinary iron bars, then g screen of heavy iron netting. One of the bars was sawed and the net ting prised off. It yet remains a. mystery how the saw was passed into the jail, for all the attendants say that all food and other articles sent the prisoners were carefully search ed before being given to them, but some one from the outside evidently assisted the men to effect their lib erty. To prize off the iron screen a piece of broom handle was used. This was found under the window, showing indentures where the grat- ing made impressions into the wood Lying by the side of this piece of handle was second piece, but broken and splintered. Both pieces were sharpened at one end to- prize under the grating to force it loose from it's fastenings. These pieces of handles indicated they had been saw ed with small saw, evidently a hack saw.
 The aperture made by saving and bending the bar was only about eight by twelve inches, yet three ordinary sized men passed through this space and left without awakening the at tendants sleeping in the front of the jail. Before leaving the prisoners locked the cage with the improvised key, is the opinion of Undersheriff Sturges.
 Besides the jail-made key the off, cers found metal can opener on the floor, badly twisted, showing that the prisoners attempted to pick the lock with this instrument.
 MT. Sturges is of the opinion that those who escaped, received advice and instruction how to effect their getaway from a road convict, who was placed in the jail overnight re- gently. It is stated on other oc- casions when prisoners escaped it