Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-07-20
ALEX
reSpondence of The Star.


ALEXANDRIA, Va, July 20, 1858.
The escape of Trammell and Smith from the
jail Of this county still continues to excite much
comment in the community, and much anxiety is
felt for their apprehension Efforts are still
making to discover their whereabouts.
The offences with which they were charged
were noticed in the Star at the time of their oc-
currence. James Southland, or, as he Is usually
called, Trammell, was sent on at the last term Of
tue county court, charged with garroting Henry
Schwarz, dry goods dealer, and robbing him Of
several hundred dollars. He was also charged
Jointly with James Smith, the other fugitive
with breaking open the warehouse of J. J Wheat
d Bro, aud stealing therefrom large amount Of
goods of various kinds.
The county court concluded the preliminary
examination during the second week of July, and
sent the parties on for trial at the November term
oil the circuit court, since which time ii is SUD-
posed they have he n planning escape. Ii is
usnal to allow toierablv free communication be-
tween prisoners and their friends, previous to-
the final trial, and such privilege was accorded
in this Instance.
On Sunday, about sunset, one of the deputy
JailoTs took his round and found all the sixteen
prisoners, as he thought, securely locked up in
their cells, Trammsll and Smith being hand
cuhvd About nine o'clock, a second examna-
ZION showed The cell door open, the window bars
cut, rope over the wall. and the birds flown
The first floor of the Alexandria Jail is so con-
stIucled tnat narrow passage, the windows of
which are secured by iron bars of one and half by
III
into this passage, cell-doors OF iron open They
are fastened DY locks, screwed on from the out
SIDE, the bolts OF which, while running into a
hasp, also secured on the outside pass through a
catch dropped from a transverse iron bar and
While locking the door in the ordinary way also
prevent the bar from being moved The upper
portion OF Tue door is grated to admit air. From
the yard windows to the ground is about eigh-
teen feet, and then wall of some twenty feet has
to be surmounted to gain the street beyond
Arrangements to meet all these impediments TO
IN no riutlz 49, IN
to have been no impeachment, seemed to have been
fully maze.
One of the rivets holding the hasp of the lock
mao neen sawed In two, and the hasp held in its
place by wooden wedges that would Weld to a
biow, and permit the hasp to be showed aside
the IRON gratings were cut in four places and
needed only lifting up to make an apertu large
enough TO escape by. A rope Was in read n as
and was left behind, banging over the outside
wall. Once In the Jail yard with such an aux
mary, escape to the open space beyond was easy
ne marks ieit by The fugitives warrant US in be-
Ilevlng that they escaped in this manner.
After the escape was discovered no vigilance
was lost, no pains found too great to discover
the route the fugitives had taken. Searches were
made, and police authorities were on the gKt rirs
the entire night, without effect
ne steam tug Wide Awake, with number of
ofhcers on board, went Yesterday ia pursuit of a
sioop on board which IT was supposed the fugi-
tives were sec eted The chase proved a vain
one; nothing was discovered, and the fugitives
still at large
4, list OF the prisoners that have escaped during
inc last ten years from the jail Of this county
would surprise the community Nearly ONE
fourth Of the prisoners that have stood any Chance
OF conviction and severe punishment for offences
have found means to escape the law.
IL Is noticed In the city papers that Can't Jas
al Stewart, native Of this city, has realized a
handsome amount by the o. erations OF a mill
neal Sonora, California, for crushing gold quartz
The line buildings Of the late Alexsndri ria Ac ad-
emv are, II Is said. TO be reopened by Miss Tebbs
OF Middleburg, Va. as boarding school for
20 ung ladies.
Markets Business very limited. No wheat
offered; quotations: red SI.1U, white 81 90 Sales
OF $40 to $50 bushels white and mixed corn at Sc
No rye oats Offered r