Star.
London, England, 1829-11-05 00:00:00

ESCAPE OF TWELVE CONVICTS.

On Tuesday last, about nine o'clock in the morning,
the Albion coach took up, as passengers, 12 convicts from Chester,
who had been sentenced to transportation for life for various
offences. and who were to be forwarded to Portsmouth, for
which purpose a Portsmouth coach was to met them at tbe Bull-
and•Mouth, London. The coach bad no other passengers, ex-
cepting the two keepers who had charge of the convicts.
About oine in the evening the coach reached Birmingham,
when a new coachman and guard relieved the former ones,
and the coach Proceeded to Elmedon, where the convicts
partook of some refreshments. After having gone on four
miles to Meriden, the guard's attention was arrested by hearing
one of the convicts filing the chain attached to his handcuffs.
Without apparently noticing the noise, he contrived to apprise the
keeper.of the circumstance ; and lie then took the guard's situation
behind, the guard afterwards riding with the coachman. W.th
this alteration every thing became quiet, and there were no ap-
pearances of an attempt at escape. The coach now approached Co.
vevtry, through which it passed ; and, after it bad proceeded nine
miles, to a sequestered part of the road, where trees extend oo either
side upwards of six miles, and not a house near, in an instant
four of the convicts seised hold of the coachman and guard (at the
same moment stopping the horses), and succeeded in iastening both
of them with cords and straps; at the same time tinting that they
did not intend to injure them nor rob the coach, but that they were
determiped at every hazard to regain their liberty, for that they had
rather suffer death than he transported for life. While this scene
was trammetilig in the front of the coach, kite other convicts seized
the keeper behind, secured him, and rifling his pockets, obtained
the keys of the handcuff.. The noise and confusion which this

occasioned outside was the signal to the remaining convicts
within. Instantly the keeper was laid hold of and confined, and
-hewing got posseision handcuff keys alto, they lost no time in
pianacling him. 'flie convicts then descended, and began endea•
,wouring to extricate themselves from their fetteri--a work Which
occupied them some time, and in which, notwithstanding their
aviolence %tad ingenuity, they outdo very little progress : while thus
busily ehliAgeds.l4ey watt suddenly alarmed by the noise of a coach
approaching, and which loon made its appearance at a distance;
they Immediitely rushed to the fields, although most of them were
still fas:ened by the legs, and as the night was dark, made their
escape before tbe Alliaice Livetpopl citacit time up, by which time
~keguat d and coact:maso bad extricated themiciveisl and were assist-
ing uhbiudih übc keepers. l-faving cbilinuink
hiated the Circum-
stances to the Liverpool criachmati;' thitimmedlatepursdit might
-0e made, the Chester coeds was t..ketsto Dunchurch, mimic the
two.ketperslonat of whom ma* "if to Coven-
. oy, fur the purposetefgettins• zurieit of the
•coov4ets, none of swhotii were, expecte4lbanid ikaft-
4the convicts Were alaruieti by ite Diiiptibresisdli:thk+ 41,4
:Cached the horses from the coach, probably, .if smudgy. to 1144ke
trie~f.tbem in ilia ogibdtatilds • - •
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