Smyrna times., 1925-02-04
GEORGETOWN JAIL DELIVERY.
RESULTS IN THREE ESCAPES
DEPUTY SHERIFF KNOCKED IN
SENSIBLE WITH BLACKJACK
Prisoners Jump Fence and Were Later
Captured-Beieve Plot Had Been
PREPARED Days in Advance

In a Jail delivery at Georgetown
Thursday evening, about o'clock,
three men made their escape from the
county prison and Deputy Sheriff Coy
received an ugly cut on the back OF
his head from a blackjack blow deliv-
cred by one of the prisoners. The
men Jumped the fence and made OF
in the direction of Selbyville. On
Friday they were captured in a woods
near the Maryland line and taken
back to Jail. A woman alleged to be
an accomplice living in Salisbury was |
also arrested.
The three prisoners are Marion
Marvel, white, of Seaford; Elijah !
Johnson, negro, Of Concord; Fred
Coins, negro, of Seaford.
Deputy Sheriff Coy had the three
men out. in the yard of the Jail car
rying wood for the night. They had
about finished this work and he was
about to round them up and take
them back to their cells, when he saw
johnson run into the lower part of
the barn at the end of the yard, which
is now used as a chicken house.
Coy followed the man and when he
stuck his head in the door Johnson
hit him with a blackjack. The blow
was an ugly one, inficting deep cut
that took five stitches to close. Coy
| was dazed by the blow, but quickly
! recovered and pulling out his revolver
fired at johnson. Owing to mis- dazed
| condition and his hurry the shot went
i wild. johnson rushed him, wrenched
the weapon from his hand and then
bolted for the fence which he vaulted.
U The other men quickly followed.
Wife Sees Attack From a Window
Il Sheriff Harry w. Johnson was in
the residence part of the Jail at the
time. Mrs. Coy was looking out of
a window and saw her husband fall.
She called to the Sheriff who grabbed
a revolver and rushed into the yard
| He was too late, however, as the
men had already disappeared over the
fence.
| The police authorities were at once
| notified and man hunt was prompt!
/ instituted. The party of hunters in
91 cluded the four State Highway pOlic'
III under Corporal D. Ingram, Sheriff
ii Johnson, Constable Charles P. Jeste
| and State Detective Ottie Donaway
In the meantime all of the officers j
| the county were notified of the escap
w and told to be on the lookout for tn
% fugitives.
. 1t had been raining very hard a
day and the pursuers found it hard
av- track them. The searchers hay
be spread out over as wide a section {
ian territory as possible and are workin
nth their way south, believing that Il
'ral men will make for the woods.
The negro johnson had the revolv,
I a when he jumped the fence and it
lar- believed that he would not hesitate
'po- use it if cornered. Deputy Sheri
lon' Coy fired only one shot and all Il
ms other chambers of the gun are loa
TINS ed.
an After the men had escaped Depu
ne Sheriff Coy went into the house al
physician was called to dress /
mas wound. He lost a great quantity
blood and was very weak.
l"e' and the darkness the chances of ca
uoH turing the men are considered poor.
Believe Escape Was Carefully Plann
The authorities believe that the j
delivery was by no means the VIC
nrs of inspiration of the moment. Rath
,oee it had all the marks of a well-defn
plot on the part of the three men.
oux 1t is believed that Jonson had be
the delegated to draw the attention of I
four | deputy sheriff and render him he
ould less by the use of the blackjack. H
ying Johnson came in possession of
pro weapon cannot be told, although it
1t at supposed that a friend on the outs
Ieral brought it to him.
scat 1t is significant that they wal
ltiOn until the work of taking in the Fl
like wood for the night was finished {
VINO Coy was at a considerable distal
tune from the barn. Then Johnson wall
-Oul to the building and entered with
llau trying to keep Coy from seeing
,UpIe r,, act. 1t is believed that his purp
r' icy was to draw Coy to the building.