Damaged His Cage.

A visit to the jail Saturday showed the prisoner sitting on his bunk with "bracelets" on his wrists and ankles. These were put on yesterday morning because of a desire on his part to leave his present quarters by tearing his cell to pieces. He had knocked off a portion of the plastering on the top and to ensure his remaining this precaution was taken with an additional one of chaining him to the wall. Owing to a change in the time of holding court here his trial is indefinitely postponed. He was quite talkative and told a rambling contradictory story of his past movements and the cause of his having the chain in his possession. He said he expected to be found guilty but would not squeal on anyone. He had plenty of food in his cell but didn't seem to have any appetite.

Jamestown Weekly Alert, 4/21/1882

In Safe Keeping.

Sheriff McKechnie informed the Alert last night that Hamilton, the prisoner, was in safe keeping and so situated that there was no possible chance of his escape. A guard with loaded arms sleeps by the cell door every night, the door also having been double barred. His meals are carried to him by the turnkey accompanied by a guard. Besides all these precautions bracelets on his ankles have been welded on, and it would seem that he would remain a guest of the county until he is wanted for trial.

He seems in good spirits and spends much of his time singing. His accomplices if he had any have probably left him to his fate and the care of the country.

Jamestown Weekly Alert, 4/21/1882

A Short, But Lively, Run

True to his promise, our jail bird gave us a little sport on Sunday last. He managed to break his shackles, and when the guard, Geo. Vreeland, brought him his evening meal he turned gymnast, vaulted over his back, rushed up the stairs and sought the free and wholesome air along the banks of the Jim. Vreeland was soon after him however with his revolver. He fired several shots at the fleeing culprit. Many were attracted to the scene and Maj. Lyon, on one of his fleet ponies soon overtook Vreeland who, taking the pony, soon ran down his man, who had succeeded in getting about half a mile from the jail. He was escorted back by a crowd of about a hundred men, every one of whom seemed to be armed and almost willing to pour a deadly volley into the desperado. He seems to be made of the stuff to break jail and defy the laws. Last week, it will be remembered, he tore down the ceiling of his cell, pulled the bricks out of the chimney and with a piece of iron he found in the masonry tried his hardest to bry loose the bars of his cell, and did succeed in breaking off a portion of the ironwork that holds them. Extra vigilance will be used in guarding this professional footpad, and it is only a pity that our new jail will not be ready sooner for his accommodation and to save our sheriff the extra trouble. When brought to bay the prisoner thought he was shot, but an examination by Dr. Cloes revealed no serious injury.

Jamestown Weekly Alert, 4/21/1882