The Placer herald., 1859-05-28
Daring Escape of State Prison Convicts!


tellipence that fourteen of the most hardened
villains tina. could be picked out of the State
Prison, had made their escape from San
Quentin. Large posters were struck otf and
pasted up offering a reward of 500 for the
apprehension and delivery at the State
Prison of each one of the escaped convicts.
The following particulars we learn from one
of the guards, who arrived in this city yes
terday.
About half:past o'clock yesterday morn
ing, one of the prison sentinels discovered
whitewashed plank leaning up against the
wall Il feet high) surrounding the prison
yard. The night before he had observed
this same plank lying down in the yard, and
seeing it so unusual place, his suspicious
were aroused, and he at once gave the alarm.
Upon searching the cells, it was discovered
that fourteen desperadoes had escaped from
the second story cells of the new brick pris'
on. On examination ali aperture about l 8
inches square was found in the upper part of
one of the cells, which are eight feet long
by foor feet six inches in width, and all ad-
Joining. The seventh cell was the one
through which the hole had been dug, and
it may be worth while mentioning that Moses
Tate, the murderer of Bllmon, occupied
the eighth. and did not have the chance to
escape They are all on the west side of
the building. A blacksmith shop adjoins
these cells, and the hole was made through
three feet stone wall The six dividing
partitions of the cells (which are of brick
and two and half feet thick,) were broken
through, so that all could enter the one
from which they escaped. The building has
but recently been erected and the mortar is
consequently soft, so that by picking with a
knife they could with comparative ease make
the aperture When this was done they
took their blankets, and fastening them to-
eether, decended into the blacksmith's shop,
where they found plenty of files and saws
with which to free their limbs of the very
heavy shackles encumbering their progress
and making it perilous. They then entered
the machine shop and watching their op
portunity stole across an open but undula-
ting space of ground, 200 yards in extent,
TO the western portion Of the outer wall, un-
seen by the guard The guard at night
consists of ONLY three men, to guard some
sir hundred of the most desperate fe'ons
perhfps in the world Placing the white
washed plank against the wall (Which is IS
feet high Mt that point-the west corner) and
one of the lghtest clambered upon the wall.
Then fastening blanket rope, which they
had brought along, to sentry box, the re-
mainder mounted to the top, and hauling up
the rope, let themselves down on the other
side, when they made tracks for parts I'M
known. One Of the most singular matters
connected with thi, rery singular escape is.
that the heavy double shackles and bar with
a hook in the center. which encountered
them, are not to be fonnd They must have
taken them away, and it is a remarkable
thing that the three guards who pace the
wall all night, knew nothing of the escape
ade The night was dark, but the chains
The blanket ropes We're left hanging from
the sentinel box on the outer wall and the
Aperture in the prison building, AS soon
at their escape was made known, some ten
or fifteen of the prison guard, and twenty CT
thirty citizens of San Raphael, started in
pursuit on horseback well armed and equip
ped Tracks Of bare feet were found on the
beach, but no boats had been stolen, and it
is therefore supposed that they went to the
mountains. They may, however, have had
friends waiting for them in boats; and gone
off seaward. The number Of men employed
on the prison guard is only twenty-five, and
nearly all of them are new-the old guard
having mostly been discharged.
s. +. National of 23d
The escape Of those hardened wretches
was predicted 10y the local items of the Alta
as early as the 9th, or as soon as it was
known that the Prison was to 90 back into
the hands Of McCauey.
1t was supposed that there would be a
change Of officers and change and reduc-
ton Of the guard, which has been doae.
There is however something very strange in
the foregoing statement Of the National.
In the first pla 'e the reports show that there
are no cells in the seconc story Of the new
Prison. in the next place every step Of their
progress is described from cell to cell, into
the blacksmith shop thence into the machine
shop thence over "undulating ground 200
yards (Which ground is as lever as floor, }
then placing the board against the wall and
the Hghtest one clambered upon the waU Gc..
de-, how they climbed over by use of their
blankets &c, and get no one saw this doue.
They are shown by this story to have filed
off the heavy shackles and carried them
away or hid them, so that strange to say
they are not to be found. However this
may all be, Mr.. McCauley has been instru
mental in setting at large fourteen of the
most abandoned throa. cutting wretches