Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-10-10
Another Baron Trenck--Extraordina
Escape.

The True American of Tuesday morning
has the following account of a remarkable escape
from the Trenton State Prison:
An inmate of the New Jersey State Prison
named Edmund Holt, escaped from his cell at an
early hour on Monday morning, in the most ex-
traordiuarv manner We visited the cell yester-
day, in company with number of others, who.
with one accord pronounced the manner in
which the escape was accomplished, the most eX-
traordinary on record in this State. The pris-
oner occupied one of the lower cells in the mid
die wing, and was engaged in the chair depart
ment lie had taken up part of the floor OF his
cell and dug down perpendicular depth OF sew
en- feet. The foundation wall is about six feet
below the surface. lie burrowed under the wall
and up to the surface of the ground, on the out
side This brought him into the yard of the pris-
on. Then. by means of a ladder, made of pieces
of rope and bedding and the Stats from the bot
tom of his bunk, with hooks on the end, made Of
nails, he scaled the outside wall. He had to
throw the ladder to the top--the hooks caught in
the coping, and after reaching the top he rever-
sed his ladder, and let himself down OH the out
side
The cell was in the utmost confusion. The
floor was covered with abont two cart loads of
dirt and stone. He must have been engaged
some time in making his arrangements. a coarse
Of stone is laid Immediately under the floor of
the cells. These were removed and put on his
burk and carefully covered with the bedding -
box which was used in his cell to put shavlngs
in, was filed with dirt neatly packed and cover
ed with shayings. The bottom of the work
bench was nicely fitted with other stones
These materials had evidently been taken out at
night, before Sunday night, and after working
for some time in tins way, the boards were prob
ably replaced, and every suspicious thing moved
ont Of tie way 1t was an easy matter with chair
seats, shayings and cane, to conceal during the
day, every evidence of his operations during the
previous night.
On Sunday night he doubtless felt himself pre-
pared to "put himself through; and to all ap-
pcaranccs worked with almost incredible indus
try. The digging was performed with bed
screw. and thin pieces of boards were used for
ehoveIIjng up the dirt. All the dirt thrown out
on the cell floor was put there on Sunday after
six o'clock in the eyenng--the hour at which
the cells were fastened for the nigh. After he
gotdoWn some five feet, he made u ladder to get
in and out of the hole with tie dirt. lie car
ried the dirt pail, to wAich he had rope at
tIchcd. After getting the pail full he came up
with stones in one hand and after depostlng
them carefully on the floor pulled up the pail full
of earth. Oae can scarcely imagine how by
Such a slow process he accomplished what he
did, Everything had to be done with great eau
ton As the least noise would reyorbora,e through
the corridor and would be heard by the watch
men The keepers themselves are perfectly as
tou-hcd, and regarded Tie feat as almost impo--
sib.c. The ladder was doubtless first made and
concealed during the day. 1t was made good
and strong and showed considerable ingcnui-