The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-13 00:00:00

THE ESCAPE PROM NEMOATI.

It will be remembered that about a monthozsz
prisoner, named Phil* %num, a German, who was
in named Pa
a thugs af being eennened in an exten-
sive robbery of tea from the Feet India Docks, male his
amp from that prison, an event which, from the repeat
&landau that have beset made in the bathing, particu-
larly with a view to the ale custody of the maim& placed
there, was considered almost impoedble to bays occurred.
It seemed, however, that the doors of the cells wen sot by
l any means of the requisite strength, and the Noe-
-1 oseded in cutting out one of the muds of the door o primmer f the
cell sip which be was conked, and he then by a series of
ingenious contrivances succeeded in hie way to the
external wall of the prison, and at dropped
down into the Old Bailey, about four o dook in the
morning, and got clear off. The prisoner at the time of
his arrest followed the occupation of a supr-bakir, a teed.
in which great numbers of his countrymen are employed at
the east end of the town ; and there appean to be no doubt,
from inquiries that have since been made, that he resolved
valuable assistance from some of his fnends outside, and
that he succeeded in obtaining from them some el the
materials by which hecontrived to make his escape, not-
withstanding the vigilance of the officers of theorists • and
it has been ascertained that parties were in atteeds;os is
the morning on which the attempt was known to be in-
tended to be made near the prison, and that the moment be
was free he was supplied with a hatchet's frock, which be
quickly slipped on over his ordinary clothes ; and this dis-
guise, no doubt, materially aided him in makm his
escape. A carious fact has come to light, which shows
what a narrow escape the prisoner had of Wog re-
, captured. It appear. that a day or two after he had been
at liberty he wrote to an intimate friend, one of hie coun-
trymen, telling him that he was at liberty, and requesting
that he would meet him at a time he appointed at a ooffee-
shop in the neighbourhood of Rotherhithe ; and his
" fnend," unable to resist the temptation of the reward
that had been offered for the apprehension of the taped
'er went to the authonties and showed them the
letter. Immediate steps were, of mane, taken to recap-
ture the culprit, and officers in plain clothes were &l-
patched to the place of rendezvous, but whether the mind
of the prisoner adman him, or the party he had written to
repeated of the course be had taken, and gave him timely
warning not to keep the appointment, or from some
other muse, the prisoner lid not make his
appear
and the oces', after waiting foe several hoar., of
without their anticipated companion. The ponce have been
actively employed ever since, in endeavouring to trace the
fugitive, but from the time referred to trace of him
has been entirely lost, and the impression of than employed
in the affair is that he will never more be heard of in this
..tonzel% Prisoners have, in me or two former instances,
ed in their escape from Diu/gate, but in
every ease thy; have Ism re-apprehended, and this is the
only one in which the petty has bees fortunate enough to
get clear off. The prisoner in this eme, however, is a
foreigner, and as he had formerly Dees a senor, the belief
is that he succeeded, immediately after obtaining hie liberty,
in pttisg on board some outward-bound ship, and thus
completely hailed his pursuers. It may not be generally
known that the act of breaking out of prison is an indictable
offence, and my one committing it, or aiding another to
do so, Is liable to be convicted of misdemeanor, and may
be sentenced to a long period of imprisonment and hard
.boar.