Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-12-30
DEPUTIES FIND
TOOLS USED BY .
JAIL PLOTTERS
Sc steel Hacksaw Blades and
Ratchet Head Unearthed Be-
meath Pile of Rubbish.
NOT JUST NIPPED IN TINE
put Few More Minutes Necessary
Until Avenue Of Flight Was
Open 10 Prisoners.

Wige-s and his Deputies early
,ssf Thursday evening, were found
- members of the sherif's forces
asrlv this morning.
Six steel hacksaw blades. several
:. which had been worn smooth
I'D shiny. toEethed with the head
n a medium-sized Ratchet, were
rnsarthed from beneath heaps, of
s-ick mortar and rubbish in an
nnusHed two-room loft on the sec
o5d floor Of the old Jail building.
This loft. from floor to ceaing.
"a about seven feet in height AID
: iocated nearly in the exact cen
.sr and about on a level with the
second floor of the old Jail struc-
+ure Il is Immediately above the
cell from which the prisoners had
rut their way by saving hole ap-
nroximately a foot and a half in
diameter through khe heavy boiler
iron sheeting forming its ceiling.
Between the cell ceiling and the
loft floor above. however. there is
snace of nearly a foot. The floor
ing of the loft is of ordinary wool
en- constTu ctiOu-
After cutting the hole n the cell
ceiling. the men encountered but
little difficulty IN forcing enough of
the boards in the loft flooring u
permit of the passage Of a man.
Several pieces were removed.
Once in the loft several possible
avenues Of escape opened to the
iail-breakers. The least likely was
TO cut a hole through the stout
brick wall, with no known GER
iafntv of what lay behind it An
other was 10 force a heavy wooden
door, heavily padloCked on the out
side with locks rusty and unlock
able from years of disuse, but
which. however. opens into a store
room Of the Jail practically impos-
sible of undecided egress. From
the loft door TO the floor of the
storeroom there is an abrupt drop
Of about twenty feet
After breaking through the first
wooden layer of two constituting
one Of the door panels. the men
evidently became suspicious that
they were working towards q
blind" alley and through a
crack in the panel probably as
sured themselves of THIS. EscapL
via the door was then apparently
abandoned
Plenty of Material. g
Making use OF several large
heavy timbers, stored in the loft,
to stand upon. and using several
heavy steel and iron rods from d
pile Of rusty metal junk of all de -
scTipti0ns which had accumulated
IN the loft, as crowbars. IN attack
was begun upon the loft ceiling,
composed Of a comparatively soft
metal sheeting. about one eighth Of
an inch in thickness.
4 jagged hole, not quite large
enough TO admit passage If man
had been made when the plot was
discovered and foiled By quick &C
ton on the part Of Turnkey c. c.
kirsah, Sheriff WieeTs, and Spec
al Night Guard Wilbur Hepburn
at 7:30 Thursday evening
Fad the prisoners managed t,
make their way through the loft
ceiling an unobstructed route Of
fight lay open.
Above the loft there Is an IN
used, rubbish-flled attic. from
which there is a thin wooden door
and short flight Of stairs leading
down into Sherin Wiger's lining
! quarters in the fore part and on
The second floor OF the Jail There
Is also a skylight IN this attic, Civ
ing egress to the roof, from which
easy descent could be made via the
roofs OF the bathroom and kitchen
"a aF
This TOut would entail drOps of
only about seven 10 eight feet,
while 10 reach the ground from re-
naming sides an abrupt jump o.
from 40 TO 80 feet would be neces-
sary.
From the appearance Of the
hole in the loft ceiling it would
have been but a matter Of a few
minutes until easy entrance into
me attic was had.
1t is presumed that the men
worked during the day. Meanwhile
stationing others of the gang t.
create a particular hubbub in order
mat operations might not be heard.
IN the lo. was found a s,Taw-fiIled
sack which il is thought the men
used to deaden the louder OF the
sounds which they could not es-
cape making.
Conceal Tools.
The saw blades were cIeverly
concealed beneath the rubbish
aeaps, being laid at the very bot
ION, close TO the wooden flooring.
manner is being sought by the
authorities, it being suspected that
suen tool was used 70 splinter
ne heavy wooden door leading into
ne storeroom.
But how were the saws. Ratchet
jail? q ---'o ''4'
That is the pulling question
confronting Sheriff Wigers and his
deputies. Although visitors to the
building are allowed. each is
aatehed during d limited stav. and
ssay parcels which may be brought
prisoners are carefully
Searched.
Repair work is still going for
HaFd upon the damaged cell, while
additional precautions are being
e@Een by Sheriff Wigers to guard
against another escape conspiracy.
we In cell. the prisoners remain
.aaaned both night and day. while
Seaer liberties and privileges, in
elaalng the admittance Of visitors.
lave been entirely curtailed.
4ae big curtained automobile
,,saflng in the escape attempt. who
contained. and from where il
ae still remain a mystery.
Eexcnhc N zsLz IaorarTo-y-