Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-03-31 | Page 17 | Prisoners Escape from Ogden Jail

PRI5B ESCAPE " Flljffil JAIL; Negro and White Man Saw Way to Freedom During Early Morning. SpeHpl to The Tribune. OGDKN. March 30. Frank Jackson, a ncro, being held here for the government, govern-ment, upon tlio charge of violating the provisions of the Harrison drug act, and I.croy Mecomber, awaiting trial upon a cliJ of grand larceny, made their es-,!pu es-,!pu from the city jail some time dur-ins dur-ins the early hours of this morning. Their escape was discovered at 6 a. 'in. today, when the count was made for breakfast. The prisoners gained their liberty by jawing two steel bars of t lie island cage, and after gaining access to the main corridor, crawling to the top of the cages, and going through the roof, I at the same spot where another prisoner pris-oner escaped about five weeks ago. It is the opinion of the police that Jlecomber and Jackson had obtained a small saw, or a steel knife, with which to make the saw. With the use of soap the men had carried on their operations oper-ations without making any noise. The Jaelief that the saw was passed to the prisoners is substantiated by the j actions of a man outside the jail Thurs- i day evening. Shortly before midnight I the police were advised that a man was peeking into the jail windows. The informant was a man who said that he was passing the jail and noticed the suspiciously acting man. Officers made a search of the premises, but failed to find anyone. Jackson was arrested at the Union depot, March 20, when he appeared to claim a suitcase, found to have-been filled with opium, cocaine and morphine, and valued at $3000, which he had checked the day previous, when he brought it from Montana. The arrest was made at the instigation of the federal fed-eral officers. Mecomber was arrested, February 9, for alleged connection with the box-car robberies. He was arraigned last Wednesday Wed-nesday and his case was postponed indefinitely. in-definitely. Chief, of Police T. E. Browning said thueral officers had advised him yes-rrday yes-rrday that they would send a man to i Ogden for Jackson, but that they had y failed to do so. He said that he had quested that some action be taken atxjt Jackson at once. Jioriptions of the escaped prisoners have been telegraphed to all the near-by towns.