4. Soule changed the Jayhawker’s plans after casing the jail
The note Soule passed to Doy simply read, “Tonight at twelve o’clock”, and Doy being aware of Soule’s reputation and activities realized it was a warning to be ready at that time. But Soule was troubled by the layout of the jail and didn’t believe their plan of forcing their way into the building would work. Instead, when he returned at the appointed hour, it was with several of his accomplices, with one being identified as a recently captured horse thief. They asked the jailer to hold the “thief” for them overnight. The jailer, at first reluctant, was persuaded and allowed them in with their prisoner. Inside, he was quickly overpowered and Doy freed.
The raiders fled to the Missouri River, where they had earlier hidden boats to carry them across to Kansas and safety from Missouri lawmen. Upon arriving at the site of their vessels they discovered one of them had been flooded. They were in the process of bailing it out when they were discovered by a St. Joseph police constable. Unaware of the jailbreak and not recognizing any of the party, the constable aided them in emptying the boat of water, and the Kansas men escaped, returning Dr. Doy to his family in Lawrence. His rescuers had their photograph taken, calling themselves the Immortal Ten.