The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-30 00:00:00

ATTEMPTED ESCAPE OF COOl AND COPPIL

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Cook and Cepple attempted to escape last evening. Thiry
had cut through the wall of the gaol, and partially we-
oseded, when they were fired ea by the sentinels. The
sentinel near the gaol reported that at a quarter past fight
o'clock he observed a man on the gaol wall. He
challenged him, end receiving no answer fired at him.
Another head was sera above the wall, but he retreated
as soon es the first bad been fired at. The man on the
wall seemed at first determined to jump down, but the see.
tined declared his intention of impaling him on his bityonet,
and he retreated into the gaol-yard with Copp's, and both
gave themselves up without resistance. Cook afterward.
remarked that if he could have got over and throttled the
guard he would bare made his escape. The Shenandoah
mountains are within ten minutes run of the gaol wall, sad
had be reached them, with his thorough knowledge of the
mountains, his arrest would have been sepecially as
but few of the military mold have followed him during
the night. They had succeeded after two weeks' labour,
whenever aloes, and et night, when the bed-clothing
muffled the sound of the saw which they bad made
of an old Barlow knife, in cutting through their
iron shackles, so that they could pry them off at any moment.
They had also made a chisel of • bed-screw, with which they
succeeded in removing the plaster from the wall. and belch
after brick, until a space sufficient to pass through wee
, all to the removal of the outer brick. The part et
openedoi. in which they slept, and the bed being pushed against
the wall, misplaced, hid their work from view. The
they took oat were concealed in the drum of a stove, and the
dirt and plaster removed in the mores of their work was
placed between the bed clothing. They had been at work ha
• whole week in making the aperture in the wall. The mil
being on the first floor, the aperture wee not more than five
feet above the payemeat of the yard, and when freed
from their shackles their access to the yard wee
quite easy. Here, however, warn • smooth brick
wall, about fifteen fret, high to scale. This difficulty
was soon overcome with the aid of the timbers of the
scaffold on which Captain Brown was hanged, and which
was intended alao for their own execution. They
these against the wall and soon succeeded in reaching 174
from which they could have easily dropped to the oilier side
bad net the sentinel on duty checked their movements. They
were arrested in the yard by General Tells/two end the officer
of the day, who rushed to the gaol the moment the alarm wee
General Taliefero immediately telegraphed to Go-
vernor Wise of the attempt of the prisoners. He, in hie
answer, directed that the military should immdlatel7J take
possession of the interior of the gaol and guard the pelsonere
until they were executed. Sheriff Campbell and Captain Avis
are mach chagrined, especially as they had resisted all inter-
ference of the military with the int,rfor of the gaol. The pri-
' suers' friends who were still here were fearful that they
might be suspected of knowledge of their attempt. The gr.
neral opinion is that if they had waited till midnight or later,
they might have reached the mountains, but it is prevailed
they were fearful of being watched during the night or de-
, sired to have as much as possible of the darkness to gain •
good dimmer* before daylight would allow a general pursuit.

LART 1101:1(11 OF TOE PRISONER.
H FEEKT, VA., DEC. 16.—Cook and Cowie
were visited by the Rev. Messrs. North, Waugh, and Leach,
previous to their departure for the scaffold. Captain Avis
said that if they had anything to ray, they could do it
then, in the presence of fifteen or twenty =
SOW. Cook replied that he was grateful
for the kindness Mown him by Sheriff Campbell, the
gaoler, and the guards, to the Rev. Messrs. Waugh,
North, Udell, Leach, and the other ministers who had
manifested such interest in his welfare, end Joseph F.
Blessing and John J. Cooke, as well as the citizens gene-
rally, fur their kindness to him, be was very grateful. At
this point Cop* looked up and said, "Teem'. my send•
meets, too, gentlemen." Cook then gave directions in regard
to one or two articles. One, a bees/tofu, which he did not
want taken off then, nor at the scaffold, he wished given to
his 'rife, or his boy, if be livid. Within his shirt boson), en
the lett side, was a daguerreotype and lock of his eon's
hair, which he wished given to his wife. Both rev
quested that their arms should not be pinioned
tight enough to stop the circulation of the blood,
which was complied with. A blue cloth Telma
was thrown over Coppie, and a dark one over Cook.
Doting them proceedings Coppie was straggling to keep
down his emotion, and Cook was driving to be calm. The
Quaker gentleman remarked that " It was hard to die," to
which Connie remcmded, " It fa the parting from frieude, not
the dread of death, that moms me." On the way down
stairs they were allowed to advance to the all of Stevens and
Hamlett, and bid Ibsen farewell. They ahook hands cor-
dially, and Cook said to Stevens, " My friend, good bye.'
Stevens replied, " (Nod bye cheer op—give my love to my
fronds in the other world. Coppie also made a remark to
Stevens, which was unheard by the crowd, but Steven. re-
plied, " Never mind." Both then shook hands with Railed,
and beds him good bye, but did not call him by cane.
On emerging from gaol Cook recognised several gentlemen,
and bowed politely. After the cep had been placed on the
heads, Coppie turned towards Cook, and stretched forth hie
hand as far as possible. At the tame time Col said, " Stop
a ininute—wbeee is Edwin's banal' They Mee shook
hands cordially, and Cook said, "God blow you!" The
calm and collected winner of both was very marked. Oa
approaching the scaffold Cook [hook bandit with a large
number of person", and bowed politely to Major Green. Much
indignation was rammed by some in reference to the officials
of the gaol, but a large majority express confidence In them,
and spurn the ides that they wore bribed by the friends of Cook.
The hole made in the wall was • huge one, and the room
was in the sacred story. Cook attar his capture, said to e
gentleman that they had done the best they could—that life
was as sweet to them as to say one else, and that they bad
phoned it far ten days. They had set down Tuesday night
for the attempt, but it was deferred, on account of not
wisLing to compromise Governor Willard, who was in town
that stew The peltiensis convened on a variety of subjects
this morning. Cook mid to a gradate= who addressed
him, that he fully believed slavery to be a ain, and that it
would be abolished in Virginia In lees then ten rime, and by
the people of Virginia. He was prepared 10 die in such a

end thought ho bed dies seats( te rout se fir ie
le wee coscersei. Oeggie mid le tested the calf
sled 7.t. hed leisrehe I • the North wles
, not net he fiend, till thy/ had bees mere.;
1, however, feet the adult wal'i eel Yee he 0•41.
W York t ear of tics 16th guys
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I neinite , to Wadi, their wyelpethele to the families
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t J.ido Brows sad hie le seasseeefal iseseresisa.
;me. were very Mornay, end at MO lire s Met essesed
. Such wee the co striae dot De. OWN.. was
Teals, he lore be bad MU Wad hie
Berereeny. bowie er, free of 71 parrot sad
, lessee of Mr. PM/VA sweemdei reeeerleg a tole-
-I..creo of order. TY • peeeelles them west es quieely,
• II due pelf-feet eels* the weft sejeented.

LAW TNTELLIGENCE.

(THU DAT.)

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
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Bred.
The Co