County Jail Besieged

May of 1895 found how far men from Combination would go for the release of a friend from the county jail. The May 16th Mail carried a three and one half column story detailing the happenings on the previous Saturday morning.

…It was shortly after 10 o’clock when some fifty or seventy-five armed men, with handkerchiefs tied over their faces besieged the county jail and demanded the release of Henry H. McCloskey alias James E. Daily, who had been arrested at Combination by under-sheriff Argall, accompanied by Kisney C. Sterling, a deputy sheriff and detective from El Paso, county, Colorado. After a successful release of the prisoner the group departed for Combination with him. The first intimation that anyone in town had of the contemplated raid was when someone gave jailer Coy a tip that it was to occur. He immediately sent word to Under-sheriff Argall, who went to the jail and after hearing the particulars went out and attempted to raise a posse to stand off the raiders. He started up North Montgomery street to where he thought he could obtain some guns and had hardly got the length of the jail when he almost ran into a crowd of those composing the raiders. He immediately turned and walked rapidly to the corner and down the street and entered various places and deputized a number of citizens as deputy sheriffs. But as not one of them had any firearms they were of little use in this particular case. By this time the crowd of raiders had surrounded the jail and demanded the release of Mr. McCloskey. Jailer Coy, Deputy sheriff Sterling and J. H. Miller were inside with all of the doors locked. When the demand was made for release of the prisoner the three men conferred and kept the crowd waiting outside for ten or fifteen minutes. Finally jailer Coy asked the Colorado man what had better be done in the matter, as the prisoner was his. Mr. Sterling said that the best thing to be done was give the man up, as they were taken at a great disadvantage and three men could hardly expect to accomplish much against such great odds. With this Mr. Coy went to the cell and conducted the prisoner to the door, unlocked and opened it and gave McCloskey up to the men that had come so far to secure his release. When they got what they were after they set up a cheer and started out of town, first firing a volley off in the air, though one gun must have went off prematurely, as it whizzed rather uncomfortably near a man standing near Jacky’s harness store. The crowd started down broadway, one man holding each arm of McCloskey. A picket guard was stationed some distance in the rear and everyone on the street was forbidden to approach too close to the raiders. When they reached the flat between the electric light works and the old Catholic church foundation, some horses were waiting and some of them mounted. Afterwards several express wagons went down Broadway and it is supposed that the men, or part of them, rode to Combination….

 The article went on to describe how well the scheme was planned, such as coming into town in groups of eight men and stationing themselves in key places like the rear of Inkamp’s corner and by the fire-bell, so as to block any posse from being able to assist the jailer in guarding the prisoner. 

McCloskey, had worked for several years at Granite, Combination and other mining camps. About the time of the silver crash he departed for Colorado and went to work at Cripple Creek, where he was elected president of the Miner’s Union. McCloskey was there during the strike and took a prominent role in the activities. He was charged with killing a deputy sheriff and along with several others he broke out of jail in October at Colorado Springs. 

Sterling the detective followed his trail to Utah and then Wyoming. McCloskey got wind that he was being shadowed and took off from Wyoming to Combination in January of 1895. He had quietly worked there until arrested last Saturday. It was also rumored that he was to marry a young lady of Combination in the next few days. 

The article stated Sterling would receive a $1,500 reward when he returned McCloskey to Colorado. After the release of the prisoner the raiders left as quietly as they had arrived and 

it is safe to say not anyone of those taking part is known to any outsider.

The argument for releasing the prisoner: the arrest could not be legal without papers issued from the Montana Governor by request of the Colorado court.