The Broomstick Revolver: How a Seattle Inmate Whitted a Pistol in His Cell

The fake pistol made by Henry Blanck — a wooden revolver with which he has created a diversion that marks a new era in the criminal history of Seattle — has been quietly investigated, and abundant evidence gathered. It seems that Blanck had long ago sized up the various jailers and knew almost to a certainty which man it would be comparatively easy to work a visit from.

Several lengths of stove wood, a piece of shoe leather and several pieces of board — all found in his cell — show what Blanck worked with and demonstrate how he made the "fake." It is evident that Blanck watched his cellmate closely and knew his habits, one of which was to rest until midnight and then to sleep. Whenever Blanck was in a prime condition he would work in his bunk after his roommate went to bed, and always stood in front of his bunk with his arms over it — hiding the work from view.

Part of the "fake" is made from a piece of broom handle, the brooms being furnished the prisoners to keep the cells clean. A piece of board furnished Blanck with additional material, and with his knife he readily whittled and shaped the barrels. The perfection of every detail shows how keenly Blanck felt that the success of his scheme would depend upon the perfection of his gun. Piece by piece he fitted the broken brass fittings into position. The front sight with which it is capped is made from a certain brand of tobacco allowed to prisoners. The perfect roundness of the barrels and the cylinder was secured by first rounding a piece of wood about the size of a bullet and working it down to shape.

The prisoner had long been a familiar figure about the Western, where he kept much to himself and never talked much to anyone. Bouchard, of this city, came to know him there, both having stopped at the hotel for a time, and could not say what his business was: he dressed well, but led the life of a laboring man. Men who knew him describe him as a very clever and dangerous character — one who, it is said, would think nothing of trying a desperate game.