The Empire County argus., 1854-10-07
\ Coioma: Saturday, Oct. z, 1854.
,roRr, STATE PRISONERS TGsCAPED.


MORE STATE PRISONERS ESCAPED.
The escape of prisoners from the State Prison of
this State is a thing of nearly weekly occurrence
Only few days since batch took tickets of leave
and walked off Indeed, it is quietly hinted in
many Of the bay papers that prisoners are occa-
sionally to visit ncghboring cities, to rusti
cate and invite their friends to sign petitions pray
ing the Governor to grant them bis executive
pardon.
If the Governor would exercise the pardoning
power wholesale, and turn the whole herd loose at
once, he might in this manner intimate to the State
generally the prcpricy Of sending no more rascals
to the State Prison to 60 hunting fishing, and down
to the Bay electioneering, in their own behalf at
least if not pipe laying for the Senatorial question
Here is account Of stampede, from the 4dlta OF
29th ult.
'a MoRE STATE Prisoners EscAPED.-Eight more
villains are let loose on the community. Yesterday
afternoon about 2 o'clock eight prisoners who wero
engaged in lightering bricks knocked down their
three guards leaving one for dead and made their
escape 1t is not at all astonishing that these men
should escape, when they allowed to perform
this kind of work in boats What is there to pre-
vent eight desperate men from attacking three, and
prisoners made his escape, and was gone for two
days. on Wednesday evening he returned, and
stole boat belonging to Gen. Estelle. These
escapes have become so common that the saying
AS free Corte MADEIRA prisoner" has grown
proverbal.
Pretty good this! Why is there no reward
offered for the recapture of these men Are they
let loose merely to furnish business for peram-
bulating officials? To arrest them for some fresE
offence and get dollar mile for returning them,
only to be let loose again fresh expedition and
the operation to be repeated until Sheriffs become
too fat and lazy to catch them any more? Stole
the Generals boat. These chaps are, no doubt,
going to connect themselves with the revenue de.
partment of government. The Custom House, per-
haps, need few tide smashers, and these men
being of an enterprsing turn have determined to
connect themselves with that institution. What
else can they want of boat? They certainly do
not desire it for fishing purposes having had enough
Of that amusement at the prison. If prisoners are
thus to escape in platoons week after week, the
sooner the community resort to first principles with
rascals the better.
Some of our courts come as near being hum
tence of the law is becoming humbug is beyont
all doubt. The people have occasion to arouse
While officers of this County execute their duties
thoroughly and without fear or favor in the crimina
department, arrest guard and bring rogues tc
panishment-unti feeling of security and conf
dence prevails throughout the community, to have
their exertions rendered mere nulity by the care
lessness or perhaps something worse, of those who
have in charge the final custody of prisoners i'm
pairs their usefulness, by destroying the confidence
of the comm unity in all officers and especially al
confidence in the final execution of punishment Il
is time that the jobbers about our State Prison BE-
taken in hand by the strong arm of outraged pub
lie opinion and made to tremble if more diligence
is not Immediately exercised.
No class of men need be at all surprised if they
see Vigilance Committees quite soon, going into q
boisterous exercise Of power. Indeed, what Other
resource is left when the keepers of our Prison
through carelessness, or perchance through thu
persuasive inducement of golden argument, allow
companies of five and eight to escape all at once
and these stampedes to be repeated weekly 1t i
folly for officers of justice here to attempt to guar'
the community against thieves and burglars whel
an easy exchange of raScals is permitted througl
the State Prison.