Two Drunk Diners Dug Their Way Out of the Spokane Calaboose

Wednesday evening a couple of individuals tangled in the meshes of too much gin stumbled into Carson's restaurant and called for supper. After complacently filling up the dinner, they refused to pay the reckoning, and upon the proprietor insisting on his just dues proceeded to mop him over the hard surface of the floor. The performance made Charley [Carson] mad, and his feelings were not at all assuaged by the discovery that a silver spoon had disappeared with the rioters. Deputy Sheriff Gilliam was notified of the occurrence, and that industrious officer soon had the offenders under lock and key. Late Thursday morning Ben Gravinder, who knew one of the prisoners and was aware of his incarceration, saw him scouting down the lane west of the jail, and concluded from the manner in which the fellow was hunting for distance that he had found some other means of being discharged than through the door. He informed Mr. Gilliam of the state of affairs, and on investigation it was found that the two men had cut a small hole through the floor in the northwestern corner of the room and by that means made their escape. It is evident they had received tools from the outside, as the cut was neatly made. It does not argue favorably for the security of our calaboose when a man can deliberately cut his way through the building and get away in broad daylight. The hole through which the prisoners managed to slip is exceedingly small, and one would suppose the fellows must have had a mighty close squeeze to make the riffle. However, it answered the purpose intended as well as an orifice as wide as a barn door.