Duo Escapes Ellensburg Jail
Two men, one accused of murder and another of a stabbing, broke out of the local jail, triggering a $200 reward for their capture.
A jail delivery occurred in Ellensburg on the 15th inst., in which James Washington, a mulatto, indicted for the murder of a colored boy, and Frank Embeck, held for the stabbing of Frank Fisher on the 26th of December, made their escape. A reward of $200 is offered for the capture of the missing men.
“A jail delivery occurred... in which James Washington... and Frank Embeck... made their escape.”
Jail breaks were common in the frontier era due to underfunded and poorly secured lockups. Today, Ellensburg remains a regional hub, though the methods of maintaining security and pursuing fugitives have evolved from public reward posters to coordinated digital law enforcement.
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