JAIL PLOT EXPOSED

Bludgeons, Revolvers and Saws Found By Sheriff.

“ROUND ROBIN” WAS SENT TO JUDGE ALFORD BY THE U.S. PRISONERS.

DEMAND MADE FOR RELIEF FROM ABUSES

Investigation Disclosed Serious State of Affairs, Said to involve Many Clever Criminals, Who Were Placed in Dungeon.

A most desperate, carefully prepared and widespread attempt at jail delivery by a gang of the smartest prisoners ever held in the United States prison ward of the Marion county jail, has been discovered by Sheriff Edward Sourbler, who now has a set of ugly saws and files, two revolvers and innumerable clubs, the latter made from dismantled cell cots, to show for the seriousness of the plot.

In order to escape the penalties of discovery, the sheriff believes, the ring-leaders of the plot, who are horse-thieves, safe-blowers and other criminals of the worst type, induced Attorney William B. Schwartz, who is being held on a charge of counterfeiting, to draw up a ‘round-robin” complaining of alleged scandalous management of the jail. The leaders secured the signatures of 58 prisoners, addressed the ‘round-robin’ to Judge Fremont Alford, of criminal court, and it was smuggled to the postoffice. Judge Alford received the letter, Thursday, and sent the following notice to the county commissioners:

[to be continued] 

“Jail Plot Exposed,” Indianapolis Sun (Indianapolis, Indiana), 20 September 1906, p. 1, col. 1; digital image, Newspaper Archive (http://www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 7 April 2014).