The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-12-30
ggIEE q d . % 'NEelaa blrs al Col1.gr,

s Fl TIM TO HEeaas bers Of ConE ress.
IS We observe that some Of our exchanges
are advising their readers that while Members
of Congress, can as usual send mail matter
free of Postage, all letters and other matter
mailed to them, must, under the new law,
'bd pri-paid Tlas is a mistake, as will be
seen by the following extract from the law it
self, and although many important changes
and restrictions have beenzmade in the frank
| ing privilege, so far as Postmastefs and other
Eoficers of the Governlnent are concerned,
there has been none whatever in reference TO
Mensheissof Congress ard theif constituents ::
Sac. A. Aid 5e ft t,srtlier te,llaaltea, That
authority % frank mail matter is conferred
upon and limited to the following persons -
| First The President of the United States.
Second, The Vice President of the United
States. Third. Il he chiefs of the several
exscusive departments. Fourth. Such prin-
cils,l pfficers, being beads Of bureaus or chief
clerks of leach executive department, 10 be
usesltoryo official communications, as the Post
! master General shall by regulation prescribe
Fifth Seliators and Representative in the
Congress of the United States, including dele
gates FROM 4sefffofieS,f the Secretary of the
Sehase and Clerk of the House of Represent
statives, toeover CORES pondence TO and from
/ them, and all printed matter sent to them !;
Their fTstrlking privilege 10 commence with
the term for which they are. elected and S to
expire on the ,fsst Monday of December fol-
loving such term of office. 1854
+ Ii sae7z-----es .-z.---2---as 80 hs.s
BROKE JA1I.-.sCapt' Streeter, who was
i4r,n1 l..
January 25th,s for the murder ofaths Coy
family, iuaMedma, escaped from the Metiina
Jail on the night of the 24th. The follow
ing account of the escape, taken from the
Cleveland Herald, leads one to say that a
charge of criminal negligence attaches to the
official having in custody this man under con-
viction and sentence, for he highest crime
known among men :,sss - ,o.'sstsfsss
It appears that after MS conviction and SEN
tence, Streeter commenced his endeavors to
escape. :. He began by cuttingsa hole in the
ceiling of his cell, but ffiilding himself unable
to accomplish anything in that direction, he
abandoned it. 10 prevent detection he tore
a pillow case ia two and spread piece over
the hole, fastening it with sealing wax. He
then set at workon the side wall of4the cell.
near his bed. IA stone about a. foot IrIares
was selected, and By constant labor the NOR
tar was leoseued around it by means of a
jack-k knife. IN order to- conceal his opera
tlons he hing Up. a sheet against the gwall,f
claiming the wall to be damp.
On Christmas eve a man called at the jail,
representing himself to be connected with a
railroad from which he said Ssreeter had stoI-
en- some sickets. He was admitted with an.
interview with the prisoner, and it is surmised
that information was given to Streeter at that
time, leading him to make the attenpt to
escape that night. lbs
Sometime during. Thursday night, Street
er pushed out the stone with ssick, and
squeezed himself through the small hole
thus made into the adjacent cell. The door
of this cell was left unlocked, and the I, son.
or passed unmolested through all the rooms
including the sleeping apartment of the
Sheriff and his family, effecting his escape
without hindranee On Friday morning,
about 8 e,clock,iwhen Sbreeter's breakfast was
taken to his cell, the bird was found tosthttve
flown during the night. He had placed somes
books in his bed, arranging beIn as if still in
bed, so that the jailor thougf s was sleep
ing late. sas5
In his cellwer found some 1ersss written
by the prisoner. One, addressed t. ais wife,
wished her merry Christmas, hoped she.
would remain true TO him, and that they
would meetagain and live happily for the re- &
mainderof their lives a55' Esfelz
3 A reward Of 81 600 has been offered by
the Sheriff for the re-captule of the prisoner. s