New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-12
WHOLESALE ATTEMPT OF CONVICTS
Escape from Sing-Sing Prison.
THE FUGIrIyEs CAPTURED AND BROUGHT BACK

resulted II the trcdpc oi hIR humoeI'
About clock in the morning. as the convcts were
in the act Of entering the messroom to take breakfast
| a signal WA given by one of them named Tom Dunn,
who fourished knife, and called on the others TO
escape. large number Immediately started In diff
fernt directions party Of shout thirty passing
through the arch under the man prison, another of
twenty or twenty-five heading in q norheriy TO
pass along the dock and third running around the
| stone shop teward the south None of the keepers
present were armed, but the guards drew their
revolvers and fred several shots, of them, how
ever, taking effect. Those convicts who passed
through the arch leaped over the wall and ran down
the railroad track under the long arch where they
were met by Mr.. Ennevor, guard, who happened to
b. thereabout drying his shad nets and who rushed
forward with revolver, and with the assistance Of
some Of the guards who had now arrived turned the
convicts back. They then north upon the railroad
track and joined the othe. who had passed along the
dock.
The guard stationed at the North post as
sailed BY the fugves with stones but discharged his
revolver at them firing several shots, none however,
taking effect though two men fell. BY the efforts Of
Mr. Beardsley the agent, and Mr. Cundal, the princi
pal keeper assisted by few of the guards and keep
ers, all these runawsys reduced to submission,
and marched to the lookup
The party which tried to escape outside by running
through the stone shop, headed off by VIM.
Wasbbun, keeper of the guard, and others, and
presently brought safely back.
About 60 only Of the prisoners broke the ranks and
attempted to escape-the rest remaining in file Those
who thus remained marched at once into the
mess-room where they proceeded to ate their regular
breakfast. This done, preparations were made to
march them usual into the chapel, which is on the
floor over the mess-room and two or three companies
had already got up there when the head keeper ap-
peared and gave orders that all should be at once
marched to their cells in order to ascertain how many,
If any, had escaped. Several of the convicts there
upon commenced a row; refusing to obey orders, and
one bold fellow seized Mr.. Cunda by the collar, while
cries At " dash him through the floor" "let us run,
" fire =" &c. were heard in all directions but by the
firmness of the officers, together with the timely ar
rival of Mr. Beerdsley with a revolver, this second
attempt at characterization WAS crushed, and the men
were taken to their cells and locked up.
When the riot first commenced, the greatest cOnfu
sion prevailed, many of the cOnvicts cried Fire!
and shouted with all their might leading many of the
officers to suppose that fire was actually raging
about the prison This confusion the more easily
produced as the different files OF prisoners were at that
time in various parts of the yard, hundreds of feet
apart some of the companies having just left the
dock, where they had been to empty their buckets.
The chief ring eader of the plot il now known to be
Tom Dunn, alias Henry Mcintosh belonging to the
quarry gang who is serving his third term of impr--
onment having been pardoned last year, but since
then returned again. He is from Brooklyn, and was
last sentenced for term Of nine year, Dunn gave
the signal of escape his brother convicts by raising
a shout and brandshng large knife, which he had
previously concealed about his person.
BY thorough Investigation the agent has discovered
that Dunn had at least three confederates; VIZ james
Smith of the tapestry shop John King. alIas Ready,
of the hat shop, and William johnson of the plating
shop. Dunn and Smith, however, were the main men,
as some fifteen conyics state that they had conferred
with one or the other of them the subject of the
revolt on Sunday. II appears also that this scheme
was concocted in the hospital by the leaders, who re-
Gently got permission to 60 there under preterse OF
being sick. On Friday last certain OF the conviots
were notified to hold themselves il resdaess on Sun
day morning. The various prisoners concerned found
means TO communicate with each other and perfect
arrangements despite the regulations of the prison. by
virtue of which the convicts not allowed to con-
verse together or make any signs whatever They are
able to do It, however, notwithstanding the vigilance
Of the officers.
1t has been ascertained that of the cOnvcts at
sharp knives and Others with slung shot weighing in
some cases as much 5 pound each-a size which
throws the equipment Of our New.York rowdies 60
pletely in the shade. Two knives were found
cealed among the bed clothes Of prisoner named
Higgins They measured six inches in length, aud
were ground to point. They supposed to have
been prepared In the file shop. Higgins was no
farther implicated in the revolt than the fact that the
knives were found in his possession.
After the convicts all locked up, and the alarm
had subsidized the usual punishment in such was
duly administered. The four ringleaders were con-
veyed to the BARRIERS shop, where their heads were
shaved at the side leaving oblong tut of hair
tending longudinally the crown something after
the manner of the Celestiab In addition q ball and
chain were attached to the leg Of each, and they will
be kept in confinement until penance is paid. Tue
remainder of the ugitives to the number of forty6ve
or ffiy were made acquainted in turn with the cooling
properties of the shower.bah This process began
Sunday afternoon at , p. m. and was continued till D.
Yesterday resumed and kept up until the E-t OF
dehnquents exhausted.
Altogether this is the most formidable and daring
attempt the part of conyicts to escape from Sing
Sing Prison that has been made for years past The
resolute stand made by the officers at the critical mo-
ment defeated the purposes of the runaways, who
doubtless counted mainly the confusion to be pro-
duced BY general rush. Efforts to escape in psrs
and companies have been frequent among the con-
ycts ct the Prison durinerhe past few months but it
is hoped that this signal failure will deter any Others
rom making similar tral.
-
ESooURAGEaEsT FOR CREDIoRs.-A lucky credit
or is jacob Freeman of Freemansburg, Pennsylvania