Five Dangerous Prisoners Escape King County Jail
A jailer was overpowered and robbed in a brazen Sunday night escape by inmates facing charges ranging from life sentences for murder to bank robbery.
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.
Seattle—After overpowering the jailer and taking his keys, and robbing a visitor in the jail office of money and clothing, five of the most desperate prisoners in the King County jail escaped Sunday night and are at large. They are: John Soudas, sentenced to life for the murder of Blanche Coleman; Dr. P. V. Allen, serving one year for a statutory offense and accused of murdering Miss Anna Danielson; Robert Ford, a negro, awaiting trial on the charge of murdering Harry Agee; Frank Coatz, alias W. A. Myers, convicted of larceny and sentenced under the habitual criminal act to life in state’s prison; and J. F. Dusky, awaiting sentence for robbing the State Bank of Renton.
“After overpowering the jailer and taking his keys... five of the most desperate prisoners... escaped Sunday night.”
This 1917 jailbreak highlights the long-standing security challenges of the King County correctional system, which has evolved from a small downtown lockup into the modern, sprawling King County Jail complex, yet continues to face public scrutiny regarding safety and administration.
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