Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-12-02
MADE A GETAWAY
Penitentiary Convict Escapes in Mys
terious Manner.

terious Manner.
Columbia State, Wednesday.
After hiding out somewhere" in
side the state penitentiary walls since
Friday afternoon, Jack Fields, white
prisoner, Monday night took advant-
age Of the absence Of the special
guards who had been searching for
him since Friday, and scaled the state
prison walls, so making good his es-
cape. A board, rake and piece Of
rope, all mute evidence Of the prison.
er's escape, were discovered leading
over the .penitentiary wall yesterday
morning. Tracks on the ground out
side the walls were also found where
Fields had dropped from the rope be-
side the wall and then walked away to
| freedom.
Fields was reported missing at the
roll call Friday and since that time
had been hiding somewhere within the
prison walls, waiting for the oppor-
tunity to make his getaway. Friday
night, Saturday night and Sunday
night the penitentiary authorities,
working on the theory that the prison.
er was hiding still inside the wallis
kept a special guard force scattered
along the walls to catch Fields, should
he come out Of hiding and make an
effort to scale the penitentiary wall.
But no such attempt was made, and
q diligent search Of the penitentiary
grounds having failed to reveal his
hiding place, the prison authorities
were convinced that Fields had already
made his escape, Col. A. X. Sanders
superintendent of the penitentiary, ad-
vancing. the theory that the prisoner
had concealed himself beneath one
of the motor trucks operated in and
out Of the prison each day. The wall
had been carefully guarded and no evil
dence had been found Of his escape in
that way and no sign Of him had been
discovered within the walls, so the
fruck. Col. Sanders thought, offered
the only means of an exit from the
prison.
Guards Taken of.
Persuaded then that their man had
already made good his escape, the
prison authorities Monday night took
off the special guards and MONDAY
night Fields elected to make his at
tempt at a getaway and he succeeded.
Fields went over the wall just back
of the chair factory on the canai
side, climbing up Il long board ana
then hooking a rake over the edge OF
the wall to draw himself up to the top
The trip to the ground on the OUTSIDE
was negotiated with the aid OF rope
tbe footprints being found on the edge
Of the canal just beneath the swing
ing rope. There is no evidence OF as
sistance being given the man either
| inside or outside the penitentiary' Coi-
onel Sanders says. Both the board ana
rake, without which Fields could never
have scaled the Is foot of stone stand
ing between him and "the outside
could easily have been picked up IN the
penitentiary yard, Colonel Sanders
saws, How the rope was obtained
however, remains as deep a mystery
as ,he location of Fields hiding place
within the walls.
On Two Theories.
For three days and nights guards
searched every section of the prison
and the missing prisoner was not
found. Only two tenable theories
haze been presented in an effort 10
clear up this mystery, Col. Sanders
saws. and both Of these present ditn-
culties. 1t has been suggested tne
s,Ipcrintendent says, that Fields hio
himself in the store room Oh the
chair factory where it would nave
been practically impossible to hhu
him. This room, however, was locked
Monday night and there Is no way
known bv which he could have made
his exit during the night TO reach tue
prison yard. The other theory Is "
| tho effect that he hid in the drain IN
side the prison yard, but this, too'
seems unlikely as it is not thought
that = man could stand the fumes, etc.
of tho drain for so long period
The night. dark and cold, was almost