Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-01-09

o'clock four sentenced prisoners confined
in prison No. 3, at the ATT sneum, made
their escape from that estab 1ment, under
the following circumstances: Prison No 8
contains about one hundred Tho are serV-
ing out sentences of Co 8 Martial for
offences of different grades great num-
Der have thirty pound bal nd chains at
tached to their legs and ar made to per-
form such labor under gr~ /, during the
day as the officers may fird for them to do.
The beds occupied by the isoners were
allowed to stand close to the walls of the
prison. 1t appears that for several days
past the prisoners have been industri-
ously engaged in removing the bricks from
APPOINT on the east side Of ths wall. They
operated behind their hunks from the in
side and being we'll concealed by bed
clothing, ingeniously putup fO- thepurpose,
they made pretty rapid hesaway. Their
work was facilitated by the rafting of the
balls and chains of the prisoners not actu-
ally engaged with the working party which
prevented the noise Of the digging from
being heard by the guard. The object of
the prisoners was to emerge from the
prison into coal shed In the prison yard.
1t is also supposed that counter operations
have been going on from the coal shed
conducted by prisoners who were sent out
under guard, to carry in Goals, and who
made such a rafting and din with the
shovels and coal that the guard upon the
outside could not hear the noise incident
to the labor going on within. Accordingly
abeut o'clock on Friday evening four of
the more reckless of the prisoners, William
Bartlett, William L. Fuller, Alexander Shar.
key and John Williams, emerged from the
hole in the wallintO the coal shed and into
the prison yard. In the darkness they
could not find the gate leading from the
yard into the street, and the guard observ.
ingtheir mysterious movements commanded
halt which not being responded to they
fired.
By this time, however, the prisoners had
found the gate, which was not locked,
and were making tracks in different direc.
tons, the guard in close pursuit. Three of
the prisoners escaped in the darkness, but
the fourth one, not being quite so feet of
foot as the rest, was closely followed up
ClGy street into east Wheeling and chased
down an embankment, both the guard and
the prisoner falling headloDg down the de.
c!iVity, not however, un:il the former had
HPaH MI
The guard upon recovering himself could
hear the prisoner moaning as if in great
pain but still running with all his might,
and although further pursuit was given,
the fleeing prisoner could not be found.
The guard while in pursuit fred quite
number of shots at the fleeing prisoners
without effect.
Yesterday morning while making pre-
paratious to prevent the recurrence of an
other escapade the officers of the prison
discovered another hole in the wall which
divides prison No. 8, from the room occu-
pied by the soldiers on duty. The bricks
had been removed from the wall and then
very carefully replaced orawait the proper
time for the attempt to escape, but the de-
signs of the prisoners were frustrated by
the discovery of the leakage in the east
wall. The soldiers were asleep in their
quarters with theirguns stacked about them,
and if any considerable number of the o.
cuPants of No. could have gained an en-
trance into the room they might have
seized the guns and taken full possession
of the place, before the alarm could have
been given. To do this dangerous piece
of work cooperation was needed from the
outside of the prison, but the timely dis
covery of the four who escaped through
the east wall prevented thea from render
their friends the desired assistance.
We are informed by Col. Edwin Fry, thu
officer in command of the E:ison, that the
prisoners in No. 3, one hundred in number
require the most constant ws'ching. Theil
balls and chains and hunks are examined
three times day and hardly a day passe
but all sorts of ingeniously contrived in
struments such as saws, files and small
picks are found concealed in the beds o
about their persons. William Bartlett, on
OF the prisoners who escaped, was servln
out sentence during the war witha thirt
pound chain attached to his leg. Havin
very small foot he slipped the auklet an
left his burden behind him.
Col. Fry has made every preparation t
guard against the probability Of anothe
escape.
!" A SToRMY N1oHT,---Friday nigt
last in the way of a storm, teifed all fol
mer kuowings of the oldes, inhabitants
The wind blew great gu. driving IL
rain in sheets before it tst mad. A