A Violent Prison Break in Early Seattle
A brutal struggle erupts in the King County jail as desperate inmates ambush the jailer in a failed escape attempt.
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.
A desperate attempt at escape was made at the county jail Monday morning by three prisoners: Clark, James Davis, and Martin. The jailer, Farrar, was brutally attacked by the prisoners and kicked and beaten. The affair has thrown the city into excitement. The prisoners managed to get out into the jail yard, but were soon recaptured after a struggle. The prisoners had managed to get hold of saws, knives, and other tools, and it is a mystery how these implements were smuggled into the jail. The jailer, Farrar, sustained multiple wounds and lacerations, but is expected to recover.
“Martin reached over Clark and hacked at him with a razor. Farrar continued to struggle and succeeded in drawing his gun.”
This 1888 incident at the King County Jail highlights the long-standing challenges of facility management and prisoner safety that continue to echo in contemporary debates about the conditions and purpose of Seattle's modern carceral institutions.
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