| Transcribed by Norma Knotts Shaffer from microfilm of
the Calhoun Chronicle dated 6/26/1919, 7/3/1919 and 7/31/1919.
6/26/1919
Broke Jail and Went to Ireland
Yesterday at high noon, while the people of the town were quietly partaking
of their mid-day feast, John Burrows and Clyde Haskins, who were confined
in the county jail awaiting a hearing on a charge of stealing a horse,
sawed the locks on the inner and outer doors and made an unmolested escape.
About 15 minutes before 12:00 Deputy Sheriff S.T. Waldo stepped out to
the back door of the Court House to see about them and they waved (goodbye,
perhaps). When he returned from dinner the prisoners were gone and,
despite a heavy rain, not a footprint could be found.
They left three letters under the mattress of their bed. One of
them was written Monday and stated that they were leaving that day.
They complained that they should have had a hearing before they decided
to go.
The letter written last is here reproduced:
"Mr. Board: We bid you goodbye, thanking your and your family
for kindness you all showed to us. By the time you find this we will
be out of this state with a bunch of good men. Should we not meet
on this earth again my it be God's will that we may meet in heaven where
we should all prepare to go. We shall both live Christian lives from
this day on and shall not return to cause trouble with anyone. I
(Haskins) came to this county on the 12th of December, 1918 without a mark
against my reputation and tried to do right, but everybody was against
me. But I have no hard feelings and pray to God they have none against
me. My country welcomes me back to her dear old mother earth and
I shall return to dear old Ireland to spend my days till our heavenly Father
calls us to a better home.
Will bring this to a close. Hope we will all meet in heaven.
Clyde Haskins,
John Burrows.
7/3/1919
Caught Prisoners
John Burrows and Clyde Haskins, who broke jail here last week, were
captured by the Ritchie county authorities Tuesday and returned to this
place, after having entered, and removed stuff from, several houses between
here and Smithville. The local authorities were first put on their
tracks Sunday, but with the aid of relatives the men evaded the officers.
On Tuesday they were discovered enroute to Smithville and the Ritchie county
officers were notified.
In addition to the charges of stealing a horse and breaking jail, the
men will be arraigned for carrying three .22 pistols which were found on
them.
7/31/1919
Wanted Fresh Air
Clyde Haskins and John Burrows, who are confined in the jail here awaiting
the coming term of our Circuit Court, accused of horse stealing and other
infringements of the law, tried to "make way for liberty" one night last
week. They demolished their iron bed and taking a piece of the wreckage,
fashioned it in the shape of a wrench and unloosened the taps on the bolts
which held an upright heavy iron piece on the casing of the door to their
cell, and using this as a leaver they had the door just ready to tumble
down when the discovery was made by sheriff Board. In their efforts
to liberate themselves they disfigured the interior beauty of their cell
in a frightful way. They now sleep on the floor and all buttons and
toothpicks taken from but will still bear watching as this pair once before
escaped from this prison and was rearrested in Ritchie county. | 
