The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-02-14 00:00:00

DARING ESCAPE AND RECAPTURE OF
TWO CONVICTS.

A most daring escape of two convicts from a railway
train while in motion maned shortly after 4 o'clock on
Saturday morning week, on the Great Western line
betweeu Reading and Twyford. It appears that 13 con-
victs were under orders of removal from Dartmoor pri-
son to Chatham, and they were placed in the train in
two lots, nine being under the charge of two office,
and the remaining four with nun officer, occupying two
separdte compartments in a second class carriage.
The convicts were fastened to each other by the hands
with the usual iruus and chains, and they were all orderly
and .ists.,t, nothing occurring to excite suspicion that any
contemplated effecting an escape.
The train left Reading soon after 4 o'clock on Satur-
day morning, and when three miles distant front tile
town two of the convicts, named Julio Brown and
Robert Bevill, who were in the compartment where
there were nine, suddenly jumped frosts their seats and
leaped through the window of the door, the train at the
moment running sit the rate of thirty miles an hour. The
two officers in charge were naturally amassed at their
intrepidity, hut on looking near the doorway it was dis-
covered that both of them had managed to slip the irons
from oft their wrists, and that therefore they were not
shackled its any way in their movements. The other
convicts did not exhibit any desire to he refractory or
violent, the experiment of escaping not being one which
they wine disposed to adopt.
On the arrival of the train at the Slough station the
railway authorities were made acquainted with the
escape that hail been effected, and as it was supposed
that the two convicts lutist either have Iwo killed or in-
jured the wheels of the carriages were committal to see
if blood was discernible. None, however, could be
traced, amid therefore it was imagined that ti.ey were not
killed, limit that they might have sustained *eel' injuries
MI to disable thesis from getting far away. Telegraphic
messages were forwarded to the police, both borough and
comity, at Resoling, awl sot eisturday morning week the
chief constable sit the county gave directions for the men
lii examine the woods and thickets between Reading and
Al.ahlesiltead. This order was executed on Saturday and
!Sunday morning week, hut witimut sissy tram having
been found. or any information oldeined of the missing
convict.. The police of the boroogli of Reading wen:
very active hi their inquiries, snal lomsi errmiged for in-
format' to be given to them in the event of any strange
or suspicious soul being seen in the town.
8.111 after the time for the commencement of services
at all the places of worship in the town on Sunday even-
ing, two Mtn of retioarkabls strange appearance end
dress excited the eumpiciuus of a num passing along the
market-place. At once he proaseded to the police sta-
tion, and the description he gave to Sergeant Townsend,
the officer in waiting, led him to suspect that they were
the MAI Will) had jumped (ruin the traiu. He hastened
to the market-plate, but the men were not there; he
proceeded further, and meeting with Inspector Hersh-
man he comistudicated to hint his suspicions, and they
both made oft for the men. Tim officers saw them in
the High-street, near the shop of a hairdresser; Sergeant
Townsend got in front of Dieu', then turned round,
at some siesed both by the collars, and charged them with
being escaped convicts. Inspector flardiman instantly
took charge of Weill, and Sergeant Townsend held the
other prisoner, John Brown. The latter made a most
desperate resistance and used fearful epithets, saying he
would not be taken by one man. He swung Isis anus
about violently, and struck the officer a fearful blow on
the lett eye, but Sergeant Townsend retained his hold
of the fellow. Polioe-constable Feistier afterwards came
up, and Ilnisvis was safely lodged at the borough police-
station. The man Bevill at once admitted that lie and
! Brown were escaped convicts, aud quietly waled to the
station. _ _

The policemen hero examined the convicts, and Brown
was found to wear a brown slop frock ; underneath this
was a %volumes old cloak and shirit, and when the latter
was pulled off the Dartmoor prism suit was visible.
Weill hail only • smock frock over his prison dress.
This conclusively proved that they were the men who
had escaped, and they were then removed to the county
gaol for safe Lustody.
Whetu a remirk was made that it RAS wonderful they
escaped without a broken limb Brown replied. " Ali,
hut it shook every bone in my body." Burin was not in
the least degree hurt by the leap. They admitted that
after getting away from the train they walked to a wood
in the country, tore down sonic branches from trees, and
covered themselves over for the day. At night they
steulled about, and when they got to a cottage they en-
tered and took the old lists and other articles of dress in
order to diaguise theentelves. It was their intention to
get to London, but they were afraid of g g slung the
turnpike road. The walked about until, (by nimbi they
knew nothing of), they got into Reading on tiunday even-
ing. On Sunday the Berk* police received information
of a cottage having been broken open at Woodley on the
previous night, and the articles found in the possession
of the two convicts answered the dweription of what was
rerirted to have been stolen. . . .

bn Monday morning the convicts were brought up
before Mr. Ifieklem anti Mr. Morris, two magistrates fir
the borough, charged wits having unlawfully made their
escape from catody. They wore the Dartmoor prison
dress, and when the evidence of Sergeant Townsend had
been taken as to their capture the magistrates remanded
the prisoners into safe custody at the County Gaol, for
communication to be made with the authotities.

Both were thoroughly unconcerned LK to what was
going on ; atol Brown laughed heartily when the
policeman described the dresses he wore over his prison
suit.