Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-15
Got Out OF Jail through
Window Opening Into The
Outer Corridor; Two OF
The Men, Goldsmith And.
Thomas, We're Arrested
Here Late Wednesday;
Others Have Been In
Prison For Some Weeks:
No Trace OF Men Found.

Five prisoners, two OF whom wers,
arrested at 7O3 South Fourth street /
late Wednesday afternoon, escaped
from the Grand Forks county Jail
shortly before o'clock this morning.
They made their way to the outside I
by saving OF two one-inch bars Of a /;
cell and small, easily-severed bar
on the outer window. At a late hour,
! this afternoon, the sheriffs Office had
found no trace of tho men.
The prisoners who escaped are:
Larry Sullivan, whose right name is.
said to be Jack Underwood, awaiting !,
mobile.
Guy McKensey, awaiting trial on =
charge of forgery.
Geo. (Goldie) Nolan. awaiting trial
on a charge of robbery.
Charles Goldsmith, well known
Thomas, wanted in Pembina county
| on a charge Of Transporting liquor.
! Loft in Auto.
! All Of the men are believed to have ;
LETT town in Goldsmith's automobile
It is known that Goldsmith want to a
house at 7o3 South Fourth street, ,
which he rented a short time ago
about O'clock this morning He went
\
goodbye, and then took his car and
loft town. The car is FIVE passenger
Buick. It has yellow wheels and North
Dakota license number 1884.
Two other prisoners C1ihIord
.Wentx and Ole HAukaas, did not leave
the Jail, although they had $hsSsanie
opportunity as the others
ass,.e ssssssr.l weeks. iss.asas
It is believed that the prisoners had
1 been working on the cell bars for sew
i'era weeks, for it is job that could
not be done in a single night. The bars
were absolutely guaranteed by the
manufacturing company to Withstand
any saw that could be- made. They
are one-inch bars and are made OF
alternate layers of soft and hard iron
When the first layer of hard iron is
sawed through, the saw strikes soft
! iron. against which it Is supposed to
be impotent- There have been fire.
Quent times, Sheriff C. c. Stewart said
when prisoners have tried to saw the
bars, but they never have got more
than sixteenth of an inch through
Evidently the prisoners who made
their getaway last night had some
kind of an instrument which was very
effective. One of the bars was sawed
through at both ends. while the other
was sawed through at the lower end
and was broken off at the upper end.
after it had been sawed part way
through in four different directions.
Made Small Hole.
+: The hole through which they left
the cell was not more than IL inches
by 10 inches 1t was at the very bot
tom of the center cell on the north
side Of the corridor. After crawling
out of the cell, the men went to the
window in the northeast corner OF the
Jail. One bar. which had been severed
some years ago, was missing. and
through this small opening two of the
smaller men are believed to have gone
first. pushing the iron screen or be-
fore them. After they got out. they
are believed to have sawed or another
bar, so that the bigger men could get
through, From the manner in which
the bar was severed. it is believed it
was done from the outside.
Wentz and Haukaas maintain they
know nothing about the delivery until
it was over. They did not know that
the bars were being sawed. they said,
and at no time did they see a saw OF
any other instrument which could be
used.
Easy to Get Saw.
Members of the sheriff's STAFF are
unable to explain how the prisoners
obtained their tools unless they were
passed in through a window. There is
. only an iron screen. which is not very
securely fastened. before each one OF
the windows, and saw or knifei could
be slipped through the side easily.
1t is an easy matter for a prisoner to
reach through the bars Of his cell and
open the window. On the lower floor,
there are two rows of four cells, all
OF which face a central corridor, to
which the prisoners have access at all
times There is a corridor which pass
es around all the cells but the prison
ers are kept from it by a huge iron
door which is kept locked at ALI times.
Once in this corridor it is an eaSy
matter to get out.
Two Arrested Wednesday.
Goldsmith and Thomas evidently
were taken into the plans after their
arrest yesterday. On information from
Sheriff e. F. Hamilton of Cavalier,
Sheriff Stewart and Chief Of Police
Lowe arrested them at Goldsmfth'a
home about o'clock yesterday after
noon. They are wanted in Pembina
county for transporting liquor and for
robbery. said to have been committed
!, at Crystal, where Goldsmith made his
j home for number of years. They are
II considered bad actors by police Of
"a f1cials, and Sheriff Stewart was warn
"A ed 'tOs take no chances with them
when he arrested them.
In making the arrest, the sheriff
! found As calfber six-inch barrelled
gun belonging to Thomas. II was
loaded at the time.
Third Man Held.
Il "A third man, Charlie Fairchad ~
Crystal was arrested later He VA
!, questioned this morning. hut he main
tanned thai he knew nothing shout r.
u deal.
Continued on Page 81
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COTT0N.