Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1859-12-19
Attempted Escape Of Coppic and Cook,

CHARLEsrowN, Dec. l6.-At half past eight
o'clock this evening. two Of the condemned
prisoners, Cook and Coppic, escaped from the
Jail and we're fired upon by the sentinel and
driven back to prison. They are now in the
custody Of Sheriff Campbell.
The prisoners had mounted the Jail wall
when they we're discovered by the sentlnel
outside. who Immediately gave the alarm and
| fred upon them. They had sawed their mar.
| acles asunder with the blade of barlow knife
which they had concealed and made into fine
saw.
1t 10 ascertsined from their confession that
they have been engaged in preparing for their
escape during the last ten days They made
hole in the wall near the window. which
they concealed with paper. hiding tho bricks
| they removed under the bed.
Upon the alarm being given they made no
| resistance but surrendered a. soon % they die.
| covered by the shot Of the sentinel that thsy
were detected
The event has produced the utmost excite.
ment here. and all are on the alert. Maj. Gen
Taliafero 10 directing everything in persou,
and will maintain an uninterrupted supervision
Of affairs until after the execution We do
not spprshend any further difficulty.
SECOND DISPATCH
The prisoners now say that they got the
shackles OF their feet by saw wing them with On
old knife. and then forced the bars A misun
derstandng occurred several days ago be
tween Gen. Taliafero and the jailer in regard
to placing sentinels inside the Jail The jailer
claimed the right to have his own men. The
Gen. gave way to him, but placed tho guard
on the outside which has thus prevented tn /.
escape of the prisoners. Cook says he could
have made his escape had he jumped down
and throttled the sentinel.
THIRD DISPATCH.
| CBARLtsrowN, Dec. 16-The sentinel sta.
| toned near the Jail reported that . quarter
past eight O'Clock he observed q man on the
Jail wall, whom he challenged, and receiving
no answer, fired q. him. The head of another
man was also seen above the wall, but he re-.
treated as soon as the first one had been fired
at. The man on top Of the wall seemed at
frat determined to jump down, when the sen
tinel declared his Intention of impaling him
on his bayonet. He then retreated into the
ieil yard with Coppic, and both gave them.
remarked that If he could have got over and
throttled the guard he would have made his
escape.
| The Shenandoah mountains are within ten
minutes run of the Jail, and had he escaped to
them, with his thorough knowledge Of them
his arrest would have been difficult especially
as but few Of the military could have followed
him during the night. They had succeeded,
after two weeks labor whenever alone and at
night, when their bed-clothing muffled the
sounds Of a saw. which they had made out of
an old knife. in cutting through their iron
shackles. 80 that they could put them of at
any moment they should have their work com
plsted.
They had also made sort Of chisel out Of
an old bedscrsw, with which they succeeded,
as opportunity would offer, in removing plss~
ter from the wall and then brick after brick,
until space sufficient for them to paas
thorugh was opened. all except the removal Of
the outer bricks. The part Of the wall they
separated was in the rear Of tie bed on which
they slept and the bed beirg pushed against
the wall completely hid their work from view v.
The bricks they took out were concealed In
the drum Of stove. and the dirt and plaster
removed in the course Of their work was plse-
ed between the bed clothes. They acknow led
ged that they had been 1t work . whole week
in making the aperture in the WALL Their cell
being on the first floor, the aperture was not
more than five feet above the pavement Of the
yard. and when freed of their shaekles thsir
access TO the yard was . smooth, brick wsll
about fifteen feet high. to scale. This difficult
~ W0S, uOWeveS, uOOu OVefcOWe Win the ol0
Of the timbers Of the scaffold, on which Capt
Brown was hung. and which was intended fos
their execution on the succeeding day. They
placed these against the wall, and soon cue,
ceeded in reaching the top. from which they
could have easily dropped to the other side,
had not the vigilance Of the sentinel On duty
80 quickly checked their movement
They we're arrested In the Jail yard BY Gen.
Tslisfero and officer Of the day. who rushed "a
the jail the moment the alarm wasgivsn. Sher-
III Campbell and Capt. Davis are much cha
|grined ct this near escape Of their prisoners
especially a. they had resisted ell interference
OF the military with the interior disiplins Of
the jail The prisoners were shrevd end Gun
ming fellows, and undoubtedly without any ae,
eomplices in their undertakings.
Their friends who we're still here we're fearful
that they might be suspected of having knowl.
edge of The sttempt. The general imprsasion
Il that II the prisoners had waited until mid
pieht or later, thy might have ach
ed the mountains, but it is presumed that they
we're fearful Of being watched during ths
night, or des red to have o. much darkness q
V.r..sel> L e. <v~in q Orn6 1iatanaA knGnpn IA .