Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-09-10
PRISONERS SAW. T:
OUT OF COUNTY, JAIL
James Bennett and James Mock
bea Make Easy Getaway, After
Early Morning Break

James Bennett and James Mocka-
bee, two young white men, sawed
their way to freedom from the Madi-
son county Jail early Wednesday
morning. They broke out bar from
the cell room, which they had evident
ly been saving on for sometime, and
then smashed off a window the heavy
iron screen. The nails easily came
out of the half-rotten woodwork, and
short leap Of about 10 feet put the
men on the ground. They made a
quick getaway up Irvine street.
Several men, who were on First
street about half past five o'clock
saw the men make their escape, but
before the alarm could be given, the
two prisoners had disappeared. Jail
er VIM. Burgess telephoned to Lex
ington for Capt. V. G. Mullikin's
bloodhounds. They took the trail at
the Jail but persisted in going out
Second street, whereas all who saw
the two jailbirds escape, are positive
that they continued on out Irvine
street. The dogs were taken every
way possible, however, and finally
the trailing was given up without re-
suit. Capt. Mullikin says he thinks
the men must have put something on
their shoes to disguie their scent.
Bennett was confined in Jail await
ing trial on charge of stealing some
whisky from the distillery at Silver
Creek. Mockabee is the young man,
claiming to be a returned soldier, who
terorized the faculty and many
students of Berea College with a
pistol a few weeks ago. He was also
awaiting action of the October grand
jury. He is considered pretty
"slick article" Jailer Burgess says
that the men evidently soaped the bar
they sawed for it is evident that they
must have been working on it for
some time. There were several other
prisoners in the Jail at the time the
two men got away, but none in the
portion which they occupied.
1t was thought by many, the men
went out the old L. & A. railroad,
where they caught the early morn
ing L. & A., at some station, which
they could easily have done, undetect-
ed, as general alarm was not given
for them in time to keep them from
getting well on their way.
Mockabee Captured
Mockabee was captured about two
o'clock in the afternoon by Sheriff
Pete Whitlock. He was found under
a hedge fence on the farm of Mrs.
Ellen Gibson, on the Lancaster pike,
at the edge Of town. He had ap-
peared there about noon and asked for
a drink Of water. Jerry Chambers
saw him, and having heard of the es-
cape from Jail, phoned to town
Sheriff Whitlock Immediately jumped
into his car and went out. When he
came upon Mockabee the latter thrust
his hand into his shirt as if to pull a
gun, but the Sheriff had his own gat
out and was taking no chances, so
seeing he couldn't bluff the officer, he
quietly surrendered.
Sheriff Whitlock had Turnkey Lige
Howard searched Mockabee, but
Howard found nothing on him. Then
the prisoner remarked:
"Just to show you that I'm square,
I'll give you this" and he ran his
hand in the lining of his trousers and
pulled out small, fine toothed saw,
and turned it over to the officers. He
said that Bennett had left him some
time ago. 1t is thought that he may
have started toward his home at Sill
yer Crrek.
Mockabee was locked up in the
solitary cell at the Jail.