Laura Jane Harvey Murder: Part Fifteen

Nearly a month after McComb's near lynching, things had settled down enough that Sheriff Derby was planning on traveling to Keokuk on the train where he would meet his wife and ride back with her later that afternoon. Derby and Deputy Sheriff H.B. Jones shared the duty of caring for the prisoners during the day and monitoring things at night, on alternating days. Derby's absence to Keokuk would fall on the day, Tuesday, when Jones was in charge so there shouldn't be any issues. Even if something were to come up and Derby was unable to get back for his shift, Derby's 11-year old son George would be able to monitor things until his return. Though young, George was fully trusted with the keys and was familiar with the prisoners, often hired by them to purchase things for them from time to time. 

However, complications arose and the afternoon train returning from Keokuk had problems and it would be 8 p.m. Wednesday, the following day, before Sheriff Derby and his wife were able to return to Ottumwa. The Sheriff and his wife walked the four blocks from the train station to the jail and entered into their home. Less than five minutes after opening the door, son George entered the house prompting them to ask where he had been at that late of an hour. George replied that he had been at the stable playing with one of the Gephart boys. Since this was a frequent occurrence, Derby thought nothing of it and they proceeded to settle in for the evening. Before retiring for the evening, Mrs. Derby said they should check on the prisoners one last time and Mr. Derby agreed.

Derby got a lantern, lit it and started down to the prisoner cell area. He walked down the corridor checking the bars and the bolts on the cell doors and everything looked okay. He even spoke a few words towards McComb but didn't receive a response but thought nothing of it since both of his current prisoners were normally asleep by this late hour. He was returning back up the aisle, watching his step and would have gone back up to the residence for the night but he came across an unusual sight. There on the floor was a padlock that he hadn't noticed on his way by due to his attention on the bars and bolts of the door.

Suspicious, he exited the hallway, retrieved his keys and returned to the room with the jail cells and went directly to the one holding Lant McComb. After opening up the door, he entered into it and held the lantern aloft. He saw a bed with blankets arranged to look like a sleeping person but no Lant McComb. He quickly exited that cell, crossed the aisle and entered into the other cell after unlocking it. Instead of finding Jonathan Taylor, a man waiting to be tried on the charge of robbing a safe in nearby Agency City, he found similarly arranged blankets in the shape of a man but no man. 

The birds had flown the coop.