Table of contents

1. Two men face arraignment in jail plot
2. Bars found sawed in Potter County Jail
3. Prisoner is Subdued in Lunge at Newsman

Two men face arraignment in jail plot

A 31-year-old Amariilo man and a convicted murderer being held in Potter County jail were to be arraigned late this morning on charges stemming from an attempted jailbreak Monday.

Michael John Saens of 934-B Columbine is charged with being an accomplice in an escape try.

Favis Clay Martin, 33, in jail pending appeal on a life sentence assessed him on a conviction in the Feb.21 gunshot death of his former wife, June Etta Martin, has been charged with attempted escape.

County Deputy Ed Porter arrested Saens about 5:50 p.m Tuesday in the rear of Saens residence after an arrest warrant was prepared

Jailer Herb Williams discovered the escape try shortly after noon Monday. Bars in three cells had been sawed
through and refastened with chewing gum.

Lt. Stony Jackson, who talked with prisoners in the three cells said officers discovered a number of hacksaw blades and files.

The alleged plan, officers said, was to capture the jailer on his late medication rounds and lock him in the cell.

Dist. Atty. Tom Curtis is expected to give information on the attempt to a Potter County grand jury to find if other charges will be needed.

Jackson said Saens was recently freed from the county jail on probation. Before his release, he had been working on a county road gang

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Bars found sawed in Potter County Jail

By Steve LaPrade

Five iron bars were found sawed through in three cells at Potter County jail Monday and sheriff's officers were still investigating the incident Monday night.

Six prisoners, including a convicted murderer, occupied the three cells.

Evidence of the sawing was first discovered shortly after noon Monday by Jailer Herb Williams, 29. Sheriff's officers then went through the jail, hitting the iron cell bars until they found the rest of the damage

Part of a hacksaw blade and one file were recovered in the search.

"Those men could have gotten out and hurt a jailer or escaped. It shows what the people of Amarillo are up against with this old jail," said Sheriff Paul Gaither.

Lt Stony Jackson, also criticizing the jail, said the bars are "like butter. We have no idea how the saw and file were obtained. Probably it could have happened in one of a hundred ways."

Lt. Jackson said the sheriff's office was investigating the possibility of filing escape charges on the prisoners but said "there appears to be no law against it. I've talked to Hugh Russel (assistant district
attorney) and he's doing all he can, but he thinks now, we would have had to catch them outside their cells to get escape charges.

The prisoners in the affected cells were, according to sheriff's officers:

• Favis Clay Martin, 33, - convicted of murder with malice in the Feb. 21 shooting death jof his former wife, June Etta Martin. Now serving a life term.
• Michael Don Frosch, 23 — serving 10-year sentence for sale of marijuana.
• Danny Lynn Allen, 20. awaiting trial in lieu of $10,000 bond. Charged with sale of narcoties.
• Robert Wayne Carter, 23, - serving life term for habitual criminality.
• Joe Profanchik Jr., 19 - in jail in lieu of $10,000 bond, charged with burglary.
• Morris Keith Judd, 20 — awaiting trial in lieu of $12,000 y bond on federal indictments of receiving stolen goods from interstate commerce and concealing stolen vehicle moving in interstate commerce.

Sheriff's officers said they believed some of the prisoners, all of whom were in the second floor of the jail, would get out of their cells and roam around while the jailer was checking the other floor.

Sheriff Gaither said some of the prisoners may have visited other cells by using spoons to open cell doors where bars had not been sawed through.

Prisoner is Subdued in Lunge at Newsman

Three Potter County sheriff's officers were required to subdue a prisoner about 9:45 a.m. today after he lunged at a newsman while being taken to an arraignment on charges stemming from an attempted jailbreak Monday.

Larry Conners, the television newsman, was not injured in the altercation which occurred on the first floor of the Courthouse. The prisoner, Favis Clay Martin, 33, who is serving a life term for the Feb. 21 murder with
malice shooting death of his former wife, struck a flash attachment connected to the camera.

Martin and Michael John Saens of 934-B Columbine. were chained together and were being taken to an arraignment before Justice of the Peace Bonita Potter.

Three television cameraman and a Globe -Times photographer were filming as the prisoners and Deputy Ed Porter walked past Sheriff Paul Gaither and Lt. Stony Jackson. Martin lunged at Conners, Porter grabbed the prisoner, and the other two lawmen came to his aid.

Saens did not strike any officers or attempt to escape. The prisoners were then taken before Mrs. Potter who
set bond at $10,000 each for the two men. Martin was charged with attempted escape and Saens was charged with being an accomplice in an escape try.

Martin was beligerent during his arraignment yelling, "Why am I the only one charged with attempted escape when there are six of us in the cell?"

He yelled compaints about the Jail cell and food, and Judge Potter threatened to eite him for contempt.

Sheriff Gaither, Porter, and Deputies Stony Jackson and Kenneth Chambers attended the arraignment. County Deputy Ed Porter arrested Saens about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the rear of Saens' residence after an arrest warrant was prepared.

Jailer Herb Williams discovered the escape try shortly after noon Monday. Bars in three cells had been sawed through and refastened with chewing gum.

Lt. Stony Jackson, who talked with prisoners in the three cells, said officers discovered a kitchen table knife and a number of hacksaw blades and files.

The alleged plan, officers said, was to capture the jailer on his late medication rounds and lock him in the cell.

Lt. Jackson said he learned from prisoners that another prisoner allegedly had crawled out of his cell after cutting the bars and gained entry to a woman's cell about three weeks ago, using a spoon as a key.

The prisoner induced one of the female inmates to have sexual relations, Jackson learned

Jackson said Saens recently was freed from the county jail on probation on a charge of shoplifting.