100 years ago in North Idaho: Subject of Sandpoint manhunt was convicted murderer, had escaped before

Mike Donnelly, the fugitive arrested after a weeklong Sandpoint manhunt, was an escaped convict from the state penitentiary at Walla Walla – but not any old escapee.

Donnelly’s record included two murders, one attempted murder, three years of solitary confinement and five escape attempts, one of which involved an attempt to take the warden and his family hostage.

During that escape attempt, Donnelly was accused of a plot to grab the warden and his family during a movie shown in the prison chapel and then hold them hostage “until every prisoner could make his getaway.”

The plot was foiled just in time, when the guards searched the prisoners and took away their weapons. Donnelly was in possession of a large sledgehammer.

In an earlier escape attempt, Donnelly attacked a guard and locked him into his cell. This escape attempt, as well as the final escape in May 1923, was successful.

From the fire beat: Four lumber camps on Marble Creek in the St. Joe district of Idaho were destroyed by fire.

Authorities were still trying to determine the extent of the fire, but telephone communication was cut off.

A number of other lightning-caused fires were burning in the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe forests.