Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1915 — HORSETHIEF WANTED OUT. [ARTICLE]

HORSETHIEF WANTED OUT.

Newton CoSmty Prisoner Makes Unsuccessful Attempt to Break Jail Here. Walter Miller, the Newtoi\county prisoner confined in jail here for stealing some horses recently of G. H. Hillis of west of Fair Oaks, made an unsuccessful attempt to break jail Saturday night. Sheriff McColiy had locked the three prisoners who are at present occupants of the jail, Miller, Dunlap and Howard—the two latter being the Chicago prisoners charged with soliciting memberships in an automobile protective assurance concern and receiving moneys therefor without any authority so to do—in their cells as usual Saturnight, but neglected to lock the slide or arm which holds the cell door shut from the outside. Some painters had been working in the jail Saturday and left their step-ladder and a short plank in the corridor. Miller, with the aid of a broken piece of broom stick, on the end of which he had fashioned a knotch, succeeded in working the slide which held his door shut and moved it sufficiently to permit him to open the door and gain the corridor. Once there he used the plank to pry loose a piece of the steel ceiling where he had noticed that same was already slightly loosened, and then, by placing the step-ladder underneath, made his way through the hole to the attic, taking with him his overcoat and cap and three blankets, the latter for the purpose of letting himself down from the roof, where he had expected to make his escape.-, Hfe had removed the electric light globe in the corridor so that his movements could not by any chance be observed should any one happen in the hallway north of the jail proper, while he was making. his getaway. After getting up ih the attic he was evidently frustrated in breaking through the roof and therefore made hi£ way along in the dark over toward the north part of the building into the sheriff’s residence proper. Herb he found a door leading into the bathroom. This door was fastened with a couple of clasps from the bathroom side, and by jarring on the door he had succeeded in loosening one of them. Mrs. McColiy was awakened by the noise he made in trying to-open the door and she aroused her husband, who got out of bed and seized a revolver and went into the bathroom. He called out to know who was tffcere, and Miller yelled, “Don’t shoot; it is I, Miller.” The sheriff was astounded to know* hSw the man had -got out of the jail in which he knew he had locked him securely the night before. His son, Harry-, came in and opened the door and he made Miller come down and bring his overcoat and the blankets he had taken with him. Then handcuffs were placed on Miller and he was taken back to his cell and locked in, and he will be watched closely until he is turned over to Newton county for trial. It is understood that Miller will plead guilty to the charge of horse stealing and therefore he will probably be arraigned in court next week. While Miller claims that he has never been in trouble before, it is evident that he has seen the inside of jails before this, for his plan of escape seems to have been made like an old offender. It was about 2:30 o’clock Sunday morning when Mrs. McColiy was aroused by Miller’s efforts to open the door from the attic to the bathroom, and had she not heard him, it is probable that he would soon have had the door open and then made his escape down the stairs and out of the front door. Neither Dunlap or Howard made any effort to escape and are understood, to have been threatened with dire results from Miller should they raise an alarm.