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Attempted Jail Delivery.

Attempted Jail Delivery. image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
September
Year
1889
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A well planned jail delivery was not sucoessful at the couuty jail !ast ñunday night, but it was no fault of the prisoners who made the attempt. Had it not been for the nerve of deputy Sihott and the timely assistance of Sheriff Dwyer, at least one of the crimináis would have escaped. On Sunday Miohael Steeb was in the jail suffering with delirium tremens and a physioian left medicine to be given to him at stated times. Between 10 and 11 o'clock at night deputy Sohott took the medicine and went to the oage. As he opened the door of the cage James Smith, Frank Howard and Henry Gilson sprang upon him from one 6ide of the cage. Schott struggled with the men and tried to force them back and close the door, but Smith succeeded in passing him and getting into the hall. Sohott called for help and the sheriff arrived just in time to secure Smith as he took hold of the outside door. Schott forced the other two men back into the cage and went to the eheriffs aid. He secured his revolver and Smith was offered the alternative of going back into his eell or receiving a bullet from the revolver. He chose the former anJ was soon locked up again. Smith, who appeared to be the ringleader, is awaiting trial for a burglary committed at Chelsea; Howard is the man arreeted at Paw Paw for stealing Cornwell Bros.' horse ; Gilson is a tramp who has been genteneed to the House of Correction for three months. Smith is now locked in his cell and will receive a diet of bread and water until court convenes. The attempt was to have been made earlier in the evening, while the deputy was absent, and the sheriff was to have been Ihe man assaulted. He was called into the cage by the men about 8:30 o'clock, on the plea that Steeb was having a fit. He went in, but his sister-inlaw followed him and locked the outer door to the corridor. Steeb was not in need oL help, and recalling the circumstance, the sheriff concludes that was to have been the time selected for the escape. There is no ligbt in the cage, and i would be an easy matter for the prisoner to strike a man down before he saw them. The otber piisoners made no attempt to mak e their escape. The affair ended all righ' , hut the gituation looked precarious for a time. Attempts of this kind can be avoided in the future by having lights placed in the cage, and the jail aut.horities should attend to this matter before any of our officials are muidered or a general jail deüvery takes place.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register