The Failed Prison Escape of Sam Murphy
A notorious burglar's attempt to break free while being transported to Walla Walla is thwarted by a tip-off.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Deputy Sheriff Jack McDonald, who returned from Walla Walla yesterday, tells of another attempt of the big burglar Sam Murphy to make his escape. When the train was within a few hours of Walla Walla, one of the convicts whispered to McDonald that Murphy had in one of his vest pockets keys to unlock his handcuffs and leg-irons. It had been plotted, he said, before leaving Seattle that Murphy was to get rid of his irons and, after knocking McDonald senseless, take away his pistol and cover the guards, while the other convicts released themselves. As Murphy's leg irons were also riveted, the plot was a failure. McDonald looked in the pocket indicated and, sure enough, there were two regular 'bracelet' keys, which on trial fitted those on Murphy's limbs.
“McDonald looked in the pocket indicated, however, and sure enough, there were two regular 'bracelet' keys, which on trial fitted those on Murphy's limbs.”
Prison transport remains one of the highest-risk operations for law enforcement. The vivid detail of the 'bracelet keys' hidden in a vest pocket offers a glimpse into the gritty realities of 19th-century penal logistics.
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