Sawed The Bar Into

SAWED THE BAR INTO

An Attempt to Break Out of Washtenaw Jail

TWO DESPERATE MEN

Who Were Getting Ready to Break for Freedom

Sheriff Gillen Catches on in Time to Save the Removal of the Bar - The Saw Used Made from a Steel from a Shoe Bottom.

Rafftrey and Schnitter, two old offenders awaiting trial, have been foiled by Sheriff Gillen in an attempt to break out of the county jail after having industriously and laboriously filed one of the iron bars of the cage half way through. The prisoners in the jail are allowed the freedom of the corridors inside the iron cage during the day, being locked in their cells at about 9 o'clock at night. Their plan was to break through the iron cage and trust to luck in a wild break for freedom. The break would have been made before 9 o'clock and before they were securely locked in their cells. One of the iron bars in the cage had been sawed through at one end under a previous administration. They undertook to saw it through at the other end and escape through the narrow hole made by the removal of the bar. They made a saw out of steel removed írom the bottom of a shoe, by means of a table knife which they secreted some time before and stealthily worked in turn at sawing the bar as opportunity ofïered Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the hours they had the freedom of the corridor.

Tuesday morning Sheriff Gillen having had his suspicions aroused, made a careful investigation and found where they had been at work and the lower end of the bar half sawed through. They had made an effort to conceal their work by the application of grease. They were locked up and after considerable searching hiding place of the saw and knife discovered. They are at present kept confined to a cell.

Rafftrey is the ex-engineer of a Zukey Lake launch, who is awaiting trial at the Washtenaw jail on the charge of stealing a bicycle from Leon Shaw. Under the name of William Miller he did five years in the Jackson prison for stealing guns. His various other aliases have been Thompson, Scott and Daily and his portrait adorns the Detroit rogue's gallery. Jacob Schnitter is awaiting trial on the charge of stealing an overcoat from the house of Mrs. Stafford, immediately after the house was partially destroyed by fire. He has previously done time at Jackson for stealing.

The two men had previously informed on each other in their efforts to make themselves solid with the sheriff. Some weeks ago Schnitter informed the sheriff that Rafftrey had offered to pay him $200 to assist him to escape as soon a they got in Toledo. He wanted to get his wife, when she visited him, to smuggle in a saw, a chisel and some acid. Each man now lays it on the other making the effort to escape but each was undoubtedly concerned in it. The sheriff has all along been keeping a watchful eye on these men with, as the outcome shows, excellent reasons for so doing.