Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-08

ANNEs oaA VI
AeeOunt of this DAREDEVIL.
There appeared in yesterday mornings issue
| ofthe LEADER a speciald dispatch from Column
bus, announcing the escape, the night before,
of David BENTLEY, a convict sent from this
city. He made his exit in the same maH-
ner that Gen. Morgan and his co-rebel gang
escaped, by digging into the chamber below
his cell, etc. A reward of one hundred
dollars is offered for his apprehension.
Many of our citizens will remember this
man. He and his brother George were ar
rested in October, 1865, a few days before
| the election, charged with and afterward in
dieted, convicted and sentenced to the
penitentiary for the crime of burglary
David sent for a term of seven and
George of three years. They had rented the
the farm of Norman C. Baldwin out on
Kinsman street, which George was farm
ing" while David "~peddled chickens"
They were the leaders of the gang who
plundered, in such Wholesale fashion, es-
adjustments in this city, in Bedford, Will
loughby, gainesville, and in places in Me-
dina county. They had broken into Kepp-
ner's shirt mandatory, next to the Court
House, a short time before their arrest, and
carried away in a wagon every shirt in the
store. The vehicle was tracked to their
place. Parties here who had lost buggies
suspected these enterprising " farmers"
and going to their barn before sunrise the
Sunday morning before they were taken
into custody, found there five or six Of the
missing vehicles. The police were notified,
and the boys locked up. They we're bound
oyer and transferred to the jail. Meantime
sheriff Nicola had come into Office, and
within three days after that-event he be-
came satisfied that Dave BENTLEY was not
right, that he meditated breaking jail. Dep
uty sheriff Ridgway was ordered to sleep
in the " sherif-s chamber an apartment
adjoining the prison with a long narrow open
in its wall, through which the least
noise made in the prison is transmitted and
perfectly audible TO the occupant
That officer was quite sure be
footsteps in the night, on the eOrri-
doris. The next night sheriff Nicola staid
there with Ridgway, and they became per-
satisfied that BENTLEY. or some other
man, had a key by which he unlocked his
door and thus gained the liberty Of the
prison. He and his cell were searched the
morning, and in his bed tick six or seven
files were found, designed for use on the
iron bars of the windows, and several ex-
,elient ehisels for working in stone. But
no key was found. Kentley protested he
had none. The sheriff ordered him to be
kept locked up, and to live on bread and
till he should discover the key. Still
be protested he had none, when the sheriff
him to be starved into a confession.
In about two hours after the issue of this
order, Kentley sent for the sheriff, ard gave
lim a key. He then showed him where he
Jad operated on the bars OF the next b the
asst north upper window on the east side OF
he Jail. lie choose stormy nights wherein TO
york, so that he might not be heard. The
in he bars he concealed by sticking
hem up with backing. He had made ola
comforter slippers to mutle the sound of his
on the resounding corridors.
Affairs were quiet for a day or two, when
United States prisoner informed the
.heriff that there was a concerted move
nent on foot to break jail. The sheriff put
lew locks on all the cell doors, and had
leavy iron straps made to cover the key
loles. This puzzled BENTLEY, and he gave
up a second key to the sherid, enc he had
made himself, Of copper, in his cell, but
was useless now that " those id
Dutch locks" had been fastened on the
doors. He also surrendered up a
OF of implements, saws, files, chisels, 6c.,
he had got, the Dell only knows
low.
BENTLEY is a man about forty-fve years of
ge, an Irishman, of light complexion and
andy whiskers, and can be easily identified I
his feet, both of which, having been
rozen, were amputated to the toes and
he full front halves. He frcze them on his
seape from the Michigan penitentiary at
aekscn to which he had been sent for 8
ERIN of FIVE years. He is a very shrewd
GLOW, and puts forth but half his force
nd wit except when in a pinch or prediea-
lent. Then, like Napoleon, he is immense
The sheriff told the officers at the peni- :
that they must watch him closely.
or a time after he went there he was ugly,
nd was locked up in a solitary dungeon
When the sheriff was there tine last time, I
hey gave him a good report Of BENTLEY,
-hereupon Nicola laughed and repeated his
-arning,-how p~ertinently, the sequel I
bows.