While on his way to Anamosa a few days ago with "Bull" McDonough, sentenced to the penitentiary for seven and a half years, he took his prisoner to several guzzling establishments in Cedar Rapids and both got comfortably full. Finally the sheriff left his prisoner at a saloon with the request that he remain until his return. He did not remain, of course, though later, after the sheriff had boarded a return train for Iowa City, the prisoner actually tried to have somebody take him in charge, saying he was under sentence and could not find the sheriff. The story was regarded as mere talk. Sheriff Welch ought to be ousted from his office and sent to the institution for the feeble-minded. The following particulars we clip:
McDonough was one of a party of several tramps and residents of Iowa City who were found at the outskirts of the city a couple of years ago with a half-witted girl whom they had outraged several times during the night. On the way to the police station in the patrol wagon one of the fellows tried to kill one of the officers, and was shot through the head and killed. Three of the others were sent to the penitentiary and another member of the party fell from the train while trying to escape and was killed.
It was learned yesterday that when Sheriff Welch returned to Iowa City Saturday morning he at first claimed to have landed his man in the penitentiary. Shortly after that, however, cards and circulars were issued, giving a description of McDonough and offering $100 reward for his capture. From what is known of the matter here it would seem that the sheriff had been guilty of the grossest carelessness to say the least. It is learned that there was much feeling against the sheriff at Iowa City yesterday when it was learned that his prisoner had escaped.
(Ed. note: James "Bull" McDonough, inmate #3992, was later apprehended and admitted to the Anamosa Penitentiary to serve his 7 1/2 year sentence for Rape).