Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-02
CITY ARN ALE s.
ESCAPE OF PRISONERS FROM HENRICO
COUNTY JAIL

yesterday morning, at an early hour Mr.. Powell
keeper OF the county jail discovered th1t during the
preceding night several prisoners had escaped from the
new Jail. Upon entering the yard, he found prisoner
named Watson Melton, whom he had securely locked
in cell with three other prisoners the previous night
lesureiy promenading the court yard As soon as he
saw Melton, he asked with amazcment. how he
reached the yard, when that individual informed him
that he had reached it by the means employed by his
fellow prsoners-Reed, Clements and Eubank-to
effect their escape that they had cleared the prison
walls, but that he felt no particular anxiety to leave
and did not, therefore, keep company with them On
entering the cell occupied by the prisoners which
on the second hoor-Mr. Powell discovered that they
had succeeded in boring through and removing por-
ton Of one OF the solid timbers of the ceiling had
then cut through the slate roof of the prison. descended
into the yard by means OF ladder formed by cutting
their bed clothing into strips and plating these strips
together After reaching the yard, they easily scaled
the western enclosure of the prison by tying heavy
oak broom stick to one end of the rope ladder, and
attaching to small canvass bag filled with brick
bats procured by ripping up the pavement, and throw
ing the whole over the wall. The broomstick served
the purpose ola hook, and enabled the prisoners to
scale the wall in perfect safety.
Upon careful inspection of the prison, and the
are satisfied that neither bolts OF bars OF massive iron
could avail to maefactors fertile in invention
and so subtlein execution. To illustrate the difficult
ties these prisoners surmounted permit US to describe
the strength OF thslr prison house. In a small room,
fifteen feet square, Reed, Clements Eubank and Melton
were confined. The two first having been convicted
OF piracy and murder on the high seas, were 10 irons
the other two enjoyed the free of their lrnbs-the
offences with which they stood charged amour ting
only to amisdemeanour. This ROOM or cell was on
the second floor OF the prison it is partially lighted by
d small window in the Eastern wall and has door
communicating with passage on the Northern side
ofthe building. The walls of the prison re- of stone
fully eighteen inches in thickness the window is Sc
cured by double set OF strong iron bars the entrance
to the cell is secured by two massive iron doors each
provided with bolts and bars and the flooring and
ceiling are formed Of solid white oak timbers twelve
inches square, embedded at each end in the solid walls
Taken altogether, it is, without doubt, the strongest
Jail in the State yet Read and Clements contrved 10
escape from it, BY secret MEANS they secured an au-
ger, and with this implement succeeded In cutting
through one OF the timbers in heAceiling This task
probably the work OF month or so because thew
compelled TO cut throug the solid timber in two
places, so to about eighteen inches of tte
ceiling. 1t is understood that they worked wholly ct
jost, and pasering the place with MORTAR so as
to leave no trace the morning of the nights or-
eraons.
After removing the piece of timber from the ceiling
prisoners climbed into the garnet, cut hole throuoh
the slate roof, and descended into the yard bv the
ropaladder formed OF their bed clothes and escaped
Before leaving the yard, Reid and Clements both sue
ceeded in removing the iron manaces from their an
kes, and left them as memento for the jaor. When
take into consideration the difficulties these feons
had to contend WITH coupled with the fact that
guard, consisting of three stos, athletic men, had
been posted around the Jail guard it, their escare
we'll nigh borders on the miraculous Many of the
feats recorded in the life of that famous English Bur-
gar "Jack Sheppard" fall immeasurably behind
this exploit.
Reid and Clements, eur readers are aware, were
brought to this city In the spring of 1885, in charge of
the q. S. Marshal, and committed to iaI to await
trial before the District Court upon the charge of pi-
racy and murder upon the high seas. On the 18th of
Nov. 1850, Clements was found guilty; and on the
l4th December following Reid was likewise found
guilty. The Court Judge Halyburon) passed SEN
tence of death upon the prisoners, and fixed upon the
last Friday In January, 1851 as the day for their joint
execution. A motion for new trial having been
made and entertained, Judge Halyburton resplted the
prisoners till the could be fully heard In MAY
last, the motion for new trial argued before
Chief Justice fancy and Judge Halyburton, when,
owing to difference OF opinion between the Chief
Justice and Judge Hylyburton, the case was carried
to the Supreme Court, and will come up at the next
term OF that Court sometime in the month of De-
cember
Reid is represented to be man of quite respecta-
bellterary attanments and the descendant of high
ly respectable family in England. Whilst confined
in jail, he composed history of his life, which he
submitted to one of our booksellers, for publication,
but we believe the MS. returned to the author.
On the walls of the cell may be seen several speci-
mems of his skill with the pencil Among them,
representation of 'Od lronsides, 'homeward bound
slgnallzlng for Pilot" Posted up on the wall of
the cell, the representation of sold ronsides''
may also be found the following, clipped from the CO.
lumns of a newspaper:
sc Hereditary bondsmen, know We not
Who would be free themselves must strike the
blow
"This sentiment is very true, that it has grown
into a proverb.''
We presume the Executive will, of course, adver-
tlse the tugtlves from justice, and to his procama-
ton we invite all who may desire to description
nf fnpIr