Dynamite Found in Tacoma Jail Cell
Under Sheriff Paulhamus discovered a two-pound dynamite cartridge hidden in a window ledge, thwarting a suspected jailbreak attempt.
Under Sheriff Paulhamus discovered a two-pound dynamite cartridge on a window ledge of the Pierce County jail in Tacoma. The device, which appeared to be rigged for electrical detonation, was found near a corridor where prisoners had previously been caught smuggling contraband and sawing through steel bars. The discovery has led to heightened security, as authorities believe a desperate attempt to blow up the facility was imminent. The prisoner in the adjacent cell, a man named Pomeroy, had been under suspicion for previous escape attempts.
“The fact of the find, up to this time, has been carefully kept quiet and the find itself has been carefully stowed away in the vault wrapped in the under sheriff's best night shirt.”
This incident reflects the chronic security struggles of 19th-century county jails, which were often overcrowded and poorly designed. The location of the jail near the street, allowing prisoners to communicate with the public, remains a common point of tension in modern debates over jail architecture and civic safety.
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