Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-11-17
FIRE Newport Jail the last appearance
and tragic act Of The uimmOrtal Seth"

Yesterday morning abon, Z O'clock, fire
was discovered in the Jail in this town, and
the keeper, Mr.. Toggart, Immediately ascer'
tained that it was in the cell occupied by the
notorious Seth Luther, now confined and a.
waiting his trial for treason agains, The State
during the late Dorr rebellion. Mr.. Taggart
went intn the cell, and threw bucket of
water on the drc, md then stepped into the
adjoining passagewny, for the purpose Of
procuring more water, when the valiant Seth
rushed by him and escaped into the street.
The jailer pursued and caught him near ;he
State House, and rc.lodged the heroic soldier
and patriot in one Of the chambers of the Jail
The smoke was so dense that it was nccessa.
ry TO remove all the prisoners from their cells
to other parts of the building. to prevent them
from suifoca,ing, The laughnble part Of The
story remains to be told. Previous to firing
the Jail, Seth blackened his face qll over, in
order 20 clude detection if he should succeed
in running away. lie made quite droll ap-
pearance when rupning from the jalier, IN the
solnbre spise he had assumed, and a still
more ludicrous figure when he was marched
back TO bis quarters again. lie looked, it
possible, biackrr and more savage than eyer,
MS it seemed he was from what subsequently
,ronspred, The Jail was but little damaged
by the fire, as Luther set fire to his straw bed,
and the floor had not taken fire much when
!, was discovered; in fact, the culprlt was
bliged To scream very soon after lie had fired
the cell, for he was ALMOST sutfocatipg with
smoke. Ills cOntrivance TO deceive the ail=
or was another laughable part Of the scene.
lie tied up his feather bed in the shape Of a
man, put rcd SHIRT, &c. on it, and laid it OH
The beds,cad and placed the bed clothes over
it, This was done to induce the jalcr to sup
pose tina, he was in bed asleep, while he, Seth,
should pass out from behind the door unob-
served by han. But Mr. Taggart is little
too shrewd for such fellows as Seth.
During yesterday forenoon, Luther fasten-
ed the door Of the chamber ho was in, pnd
then broke the windows, saslcs, casings, &c.
all in pieces; forced open the jailcrs desk,
scattered his book, and papers over the floor,
and sworc no man should enter. the door
was broken open, aud Stih arraycd himself
in front, with an iron bar, declaring that he
would kill the 6rst man that entered. The
Sheriff shew him o pistol, a0d The brave SOL
Jier ran aud hid himself behind a table, when
he was secured aud put 10 irons.
This las, irolc was done, no doubt, TO in
duce the public TO believe that he Is insane
bu, it is no go; he perfectly rational. Seth
is such phllan,hropist, that be might have
gone from the Jail yesterday morning, for
The purpose OF registering bIs name at the
Town Clerks Office, being aware that
"Wednesday wps the last day when that could
be done.) IN order to vote for the new cons,i
iBtjon and his vote might be wanted by
some patriotic ia,eyer or doctor, to dep esl,e
" the ballot boz, against the consi ituiion Z.
we rather think, however, that Seth has Sc
cured home for some time to como in the
States Hotel, IN Providence. There is q
small law in the Statute book, punishirg the
crime Of Arson WITCH II IL possible that
Seth has unfortunately TIC. lecied 10 M Ike
hims, II acquainted with.