The Concrete Escape: A Forger’s Dramatic Jailbreak in Montesano
A. M. Gowan digs his way out of a 'burglar-proof' concrete jail using nails and a saw, leaving authorities along the coast on high alert.
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Montesano.—A. M. Gowan, awaiting trial on a charge of forgery, broke from the Chehalis County Jail and authorities along the coast have been wired to be on the lookout for him. Gowan, with the aid of a few nails and a small saw, dug his way through a concrete wall supposed to be 'burglar proof,' and used blankets for a rope to lower himself 20 feet to the ground. He operated in the Grays Harbor district for a number of months and is charged with raising approximately $10,000 by a system of forgeries.
While modern prisons rely on electronic surveillance and reinforced steel, this 1914 escape highlights the primitive nature of early 20th-century confinement. It serves as a stark reminder that 'secure' facilities were often vulnerable to basic tools and ingenuity, much like how digital security today faces constant challenges from simple social engineering.
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