Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-08-11
AIN Escape.

not in the usual place of deposit and on going
TO his bed he found 1t unoccupied He then
proceeded TO the door of the hall leading to the
cells which he found open, when he gave the
alarm. 1t was discovered that the two pad
locks which secured the door had been picked.
and that Blair descended to the basement un
locked the rear door, and fled.
Blair was native Of Warren county-in-
heried handsome property at the death OF his
father, went 10 Newark during the late specu-
laling mania-was soon feeced Of his property
returned 20 his place of nativity and entered
largely into the mercantile business the pur-
chase of grain, and converting 1t into flour.
His receipts not being equal to his expendi
lures, in an evil hour he forged endorsements
on several notes made payable to one of the
Banks IN this Town, probably with the inten
ton CT meeting them as they became due, as
some OF them were nearly paid off when the
discovery was made. Notices of protest on
one or two of them were received in Warren
which led 10 the discovery of the fraud, and
Blair fled. He was arrested in the city of New
York and imprisoned, but through some myste-
rlous agency he made his escape, and in June,
lo4o, ne was re-taken in Michigan, where he
was employed in peddlng pills, and brought
back to our county Jail and secured. At the
July term of our Circuit of that year six bills of
indictment were found against him, but his ,ri-
ais were not brought OH until the September
term, when he was found guilty on three of
them, and plead guilty to the other three. His
friends In Warren urged the Court not to send
him to the State Prison, as it would be last
ing stigma upon his family and connexions, but
stated, through their Counsel, that if he could
be permitted to pay the penalty of breach Of
the law by levylng fine, that fine should be
paid. In accordance with the desire of the
friends of the criminal he was fined $3.50 on
each Indictment, with costs of suit, but instead
of coming forward and retrieving their pledge,
he has remained prisoner in our county Jail,
and atthe expense of the county, these fourteen
months, and nearly eleven months after his
conviction
At the last meeting of the Board of Free.
holders OF this county, Blair applied to that
body to be released from his liabilities on &C
count of his inability to pay them and the nom
compliance of his friends 10 assist him. The
Board very promptly refused the application,
and intimated that he must remain a county
prisoner until his friends saw proper to redeem
their pledges by paying the fine and costs, or
securing the county therefor. Thus all hopes
of defrauding justice were at an end in any
other manner than by another escape, which
he has at length effected.
The manner of his escape is a mystery.
Sheriff DeCamp went to New York on busi-
ness on Monday morning, and in the afternoon
his Deputy, Mr. Deniston, was thrown from
his horse and severely injured The keys of
the prison were deposited with the Clerk, who
locked them in his desk previous to closing his
office, and on the escape being discovered, sv-
cry door and lock about the Clerks office was
found secure, and the prison keys in the place
they were placed, with no indication that they
had been disturbed. The general opinion, is
that some person was secreted in the interior
of the building and there remained until all was
quiet, when the door was opened by means of
false keys, and Blair was thus assisted in his
escape by friend, as it is not probable he
could himself carry the large quantity of cloth
ing ne had in possession.
Blair is what may be called conaely person
aegean accommodate himself 10 any kind of
soclety-can play the gentleman or lady as oc-
caslon may require-is ready at any and all
times TO turn his hand to preaching, peddling
pills, writing poetry on subjects of love and
matrimony, or measuring out tape or molasses.
In fact he is very good subject for the Repub-
lie of Texas, whittier we hope he has gone, and
thus spare the tender feelings of his connex-
ions which must necessarily be sadly tortured
should he be re-captured and sent 10 the State
Prison for breaking Jail
| P. S. Since the above was in type Sheriff
DeCamp has returned, and on his endeayorng
to secure the door with the same pad-locks,
(both were of English manufacture, and made
expressly for such purposes,) he found one4of
them so much out of order that the key would
not turn. 1t was taken to Mr. Gridley's shop
and broken open, when it was discovered it had
been picked from the out side, and the wards
SO much bent as to render it useless. Thus
far the mystery is solved, but ,oho rendered the
assistance the parties only know.-Handbills
were issued by day-break, and persons sent in
every recton-Mo,ristoson JerSeynaan, Aug. 4
! U There was case of cruel but not ab-
solulely unusual punishment in the House Of
| Representatives the otherdav. The subject was