Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-12-12
EVENING STAR
DARING ESCAPE EfRox LIxooINc.sTIv

uAnlNG ESCAPE FROM LINCOLN CAsTIF
The burgler Ralph, says the Noting
ham (England) journal of late date
was re-captured on Thursday, on tn
Trent Bridge, in this town.
1t appears, that about o'clock in tn,
morning, Bostock, of the county con
stabulary force, perceived man passin,
over the bridge, 1t being the duty @
the officer stationed there to stop an,
search every one having suspicious ap
pearance, Bostock, considering he hac
such, went up to him and inquired wba
he had about him. The fellow made n,
other reply than laughing in his face, in
stantly struck the policeman on the heat
with thick stick he had in his hand
BoStock's hat was broken by the fore,
of the blow, and his forehead consider
ably injured, but he nevertheless with tn,
greatest determination closed with bis
assailant. They were both powerful
men, and the officer had for some tim,
the worst of the encounter, his opponent
all the while dealing him the most saw.
age blows with his stick. Bostock, how.
ever, with singular courage continued
his e1ertions, until man named Birkau
went up to his assistance.
The fellow was then, after desperate
resistance, overpowered and conveyed
into the station-house, where he seized
the tongs, and again f1ercely attacked
the policeman. He was, however, at las,
secured and handcuffed, after which he
was conveyed to the county police-sta.
ton at Nottingham. On the prisoner
being searched, a number of house
breaking implements were found upon
his person, and also a pewter-key. 1t
was soon discovered that he was the
convict who had escaped from Lin
coin Castle two days previously, and
that the key above mentioned was the
one by which he had contrived to unlock
the door CT his cell. He did not attempt
to conceal the fact, and further told Bost-
wick that he was very sorry that he had
left carving-knife in his cell, as if he
had had it in his possession he would
have ripped him up.
The following is another account of the
prisoners remarkable escape, taken from
the Stamford Mercury, containing (among
some facts before mentioned) several
fresh Incidents:
"The former escape was clever, bat
this is really astounding, for though the
man had chain with locks to each leg.
and chain from the center of the leg
chains attached by cuff to the left
wrist, he escaped from the sleeping room,
and cleared the inner and outer walls,
taking the chains with him.
"T The facts, as clearly as they can be
ascertained, are these:
Ralph, as he passed through the day
room, stole a pewter mug. The mug,
which must have been taken as he pass
ed through the room to the airing ground,
was not missed. AS the nights are now
long, the prisoners have about an hour
and half of gas light each night. The
handle of the mug he broke off and melt
ed in his tin drinking can over the gas
light, and, having previously made
upon the slate IA slate to write upon be-
ing furnished mould of champed bread,
part of his rations, he cast key to un.
lock the cell door. An unfinished pewter
key was left in the mould. The door
locked from the outside, SO that all his
knowledge of the lock must have been
obtained from his observance of it as he
passed from the airing yard to the cell.
But the key to be manufactured vas also
what is called master key-that is.
there is day key which unbIts or bolts
the lock bolt to certain distance, and
master key, used at nights, to give the
bolt further and more difficult hold.
The master key has power over both
movements, but the minor key has no
power whatever over the second move
ment.
10 gain access to the lock, the kew
hole being on the outside, would be a
great difficulty, but this the genius of
crime soon compassed. In the door is
small wicket or food hole door, which
fastens with spring lock. With a bit
of tin, or something of that kind, the
prisoner appears to have stopped the per-
feet clenchiHg of the bolt, So that he had
only to press back the tin and push the
wicket at the same time to press it open.
The wicket opened, he could get out his
arm and reacd the key-hole of the door,
and, as the lock-bolts are we'll oiled, the
bolt would easily yield to the pewter KEY.
Having opened the door he descended
from the upper to the lowercorridor, and
went into the cooking kitchen. Here he
obtained carving knife, and attempted
to break open some drawers, and did
break open desk, which contained only
papers but he also obtained the clothes
Of the insane prisoner Baine, and hat
belonging to one of the officers of the
prison. He seems then to have taken a
loS of straps, and to have returned to his
room and cut up into strips lot of bed
clothing one end of line formed of
these strips he fastened to one of the out
er bars of the window of the cell, which
was upon the second floor, leaving the
other end loose and dangling to the
ground.
Returning to the lower apartments he
found his way to the coal cellar, after
taking some matches and . part of q
candle, and from the coal cellar be
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