The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-09-30 00:00:00

ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE FROM GAOL.

A most daring attempt to escape was again made
by the borer-stealers confined in Aylesbury gaol on
Seturday morning last. About five o'clock four
prisoner. (who afterwards proved to be %tikes, the
two Cribb.. and another horse-stealer, named
Cokes) were observed by some persons in the mar-
ket-place to slide down from one of the windows of
the Sessions House by means of blankets tied to-
gether. When they reached the grosod, they made
for • part of the town in which they were least
likely to be seen, proceeding directly through a
by-lane which leads to the fields. One or two per-
sons who had seen them descend, however, followed
them, undeterred by the menaces of Banks.. who
threatened to stab them with a smell clasp knife
which he held in his hand. Two or three other
persons joined in the pursuit as they passed
through the lane; the alarm became general; and'
in a few minutes, much to the credit of the people
of Aylesbury. the number was so great as in ren-
der their escape almost impossible. At the dis-
tance of about three quarters of a smile from the
lowa Brakes was struck to the grouts& mud the
knifit wrenched teals his hand; Cokes and one of
the Cribbs were dragged from ditcher in which
they had endesvoored to conceal themselves; the
other Cribb was also secured; arid is little more
than an hour they were all sally recouveyrd to the
place from which slaty had escaped. The inge-
nuity and perseverance shewu by the Prisoners on
this occasion are so uncommon, that we think
a detail of the difficulties they had to encounter,
collected from the appearance of the gaol after
their escape, and the avowal of the men them-
selves, will not be unacceptable to our readers. It
appears that the Prisoners had been left by the
turnkeys, at half-past twelve o'clock on the preced-
ing night, when they were perfectly secure in their
respective cells. Soon slier his departure, Cokes
(who being considered in no extraordinary light, had
been secured only by the usual 'steam) comineaced
unscrewing the iron grating that forms the top of
his cell, which he effected, and got out at the top
into a lobby in front of a range of cells; with the
assistance of a skeleton key, ingeniously made from
• stiff piece of wire, he then turned the lock of
Brakes's cell, and broke a padlock that fastened
him by a chain to his bedstead, with a piece ul iron
taken front one of the gaol grates, and secreted for
the purpose. Their next step was to get to their corn-
panne's, who were in a range of cells on the fluor
above their own ; and at the foot of the staircase
which led to them was a door secured by a very
large strong lock it seems probable that the re-
sistance which this door offered for two or three
hours to their further progress was the cause of their
being discovered, by deferring their escape till day-
light. After ineffectual attempts to break this lock.
and to wrench the boards of the staircase, the tried
to force the simple, which after some time yielded
to their efforts. They then went up stain, sodiricked
the locks of the cells in which the Cobbs Wit* COO•
fined, amid with the irou bar broke the padlock, by
which they were fasteued to their bedsteads. Two
passage-doors were the nest obstacles that presemed
themselves; the lock of the first was picked, and the
second broken open. Between these doors they found
their clothes, which, since their previous attempts,
had been taken from them on going to bed. They
'text, with the assistance of their bed-clothes. gar
on the top of the cells, which entailed them to reach
the floor of the Sersions clismlier, through which
they made their way at the spot where they had Men
interrupted on their last trial to escape, although it
had been mended in • manner that seemed almost
to preclude the possibility of being 'rickets. The
menus they used io get from the window of the
Sessions chamber we have mentioned above. COll-
- the impediments that were overcoose;tius
occurrence equals in boldness and skill the most
daring enterprises of the heroes of the Newgare
calendar ; the men were without clothed fur some
bouts, their only tools were a piece of wire and
an iron bar, and they were very heavily eroded ;
jet they broke seven locks, besides those they
picked. nod forced their way through places *two
seemed capable of resisting the utmost drafts of
hUIIIOI/ strength. The spirits oh these bold ringlets,
villains still seem undaunted, entevithstalitflog
the failure of their attempts, and one of thenot-
served, our being recouveyed to prison, that lie
should yet Awe sensther trisl to escape. Two per-
solls ROW sit up w:eh the Premiers every night, sod

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