East Idaho News
East Idaho News
@eastidnews·585K subscribers·7.7K videos

Looking back: Prisoners trick deputy and escape in 1922

Posted

November 6, 2025

Views

854

Likes

39

Comments

3

Engagement

4.92%

Search the Record

Indexed

Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.

Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.

Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line

YouTube Description

as posted by the channel

IDAHO FALLS — EastIdahoNews.com is looking back at what life was like during the week of Nov. 3 to Nov. 9 in east Idaho history.

1900-1925

BINGHAM COUNTY — Two prisoners escaped from the Bingham County Jail after tricking the deputy sheriff, The Bingham County News reported on Nov. 3, 1922.

The prisoners had been given a “fine dinner” by some of their friends, and fruit was part of the meal. Once they got the meal, they asked Deputy Burnett to go into their cell for a treat.

The deputy went inside the cell, and as he entered, he didn’t lock the door behind him. The two men immediately rushed through the door and ran up the stairs. When Burnett got to the outside door, the prisoners were nowhere to be seen.

After a 24-hour search, the fugitives had not been found. The escaped prisoners were John W. Casey, who was sentenced the previous week by Judge Adair to serve 60 days in the county jail for bootlegging, and Mead Thomas, who was bound over to the district court on a charge of stealing a car.

1976-2000

POCATELLO — Hikers found a frozen body lying along a trail in the Mink Creek area 10 miles south of Pocatello, the Idaho State Journal reported on Nov. 9, 1977.

Bannock County Sheriff’s detectives had not positively identified the body of the young man, but a wallet containing identification and some cash was found nearby. It wasn’t clear if the wallet belonged to the victim.

Blood-soaked clothing worn by the victim indicated the man, estimated to be in his early or mid-20s, may have been shot near the heart. An autospy was going to be performed to determine the cause of death.

Hikers discovered the body around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday along the Moonlight Trail. The hikers told officials they shouted at the man when they first saw him to ask if he was alright. They then notified authorities.

The man was wearing a blue jacket, jeans and hiking boots. Officers found a .38-caliber pistol about a quarter of a mile farther up the trail. Chief Deputy Shirley Gameson declined to comment on whether the weapon was responsible for the man’s death.

Social Media

Guests & Subjects Covered

Looking backIDAHO FALLSBINGHAM COUNTYBingham County JailThe Bingham County NewsDeputy BurnettWhen BurnettJohn W Casey

Sentinel Indexing in Progress

Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.

All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.

Looking back: Prisoners trick deputy and escape in 1922 · East Idaho News · Sentinel