The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-27
FROM THE TOMB
A Cunning Burglar Escapes,

The New York Telegram of yesterday prints
the following
James Burns, arrested on July % on a charge
of committing burglary at No. 1853 Beekman
street, and fully committed by Judge Hogan for
trial at the Court of General Sessions was
assigned to cell No. 12l, which is situated on the
fourth or upper corridor at the southwest corner
of the male prison. He was here waiting his
trial, owing to the multiplicity of prisoners at
present confined in the prison, which unusual
multiplicity is mainly the result of there having
been no trials at the Court of General Sessions
during the past month, the Recorder and City
Judge being absent recruiting their exhausted
energies at the sea-shore watering-places.
Another prisoner, William Ranahan, ncarce-
rated on q charge of petty larceny, was given
quarters in the same cell. This Ranahan, how
ever processes to be entirely ignorant of Burns
preliminary preparations for escaping as also
the escape itself, statement which, as our re-
cital proceeds-and assuming the facts to be
true-will seem rather incredible. In the first
place, then, according to the evidence now
shown in the Warden's Office, Burns tore his
blanket into shreds, which he plated into rope.
This rope, which he made some thirty feet long,
is ingeniously and strongly made 1t would not
pass muster on a man-Oi-wars deck, but coiled
up on the floor of the Warden's Office it would
readily pass for an ordinary two-inch rope. The
next thing was to reach the aperture in the cell.
About nine feet is the height of the CELL and this
aperture is near the ceiling.
Wrenching from its place on the opposite wall
n board extending the width of the cell, he
jammed it in between the walls under the aper-
ture. Here was a platform upon which TO,
stand. Fastening one end of the rope to the
bedstead, the great and chief obstacle was to
get out of the aperture. To show the difficult
nature of this obstacle, we will describe this
aperture. 1t is nothing more or less than a VEN
tilating hole in the side of the cell, slit or
portfolio twenty-eight inches long, the length
being parallel with the ceiling, and six inches
wide. 1t is cut into the solid granite blocks so
as to allow no enlargement without difficult,
prolonged, and skilled appliances of the ma
sonic art. But-at least so say the prison guar
dians-he got his body through this opening.
The rest was easy. His rope was strong and
trusty, his nerves were strong, and stiffness and
caution in descent were all that were required TO
breathe the air of freedom again.
Lowering himself to the female prison, which
at this end connects with the lower part of the
male prison, he thence climbed up the outer
wall of the prison, an affair of climbing, by the
way, much easier said than done. and then again
fastening the rope let himself down outside the
wall into Elm street. In carrying out this latter
part of the programme all that was necessary
was to avoid policemen, which it seems he
easily and successfully accomplished. Burns is
twenty-siX years of age. and man of average
size. Now that he has regained his freedom the
probability is that he will hide his diminished
head" fact to be taken literally and not other
wise after the facts we have detailed above,
when he will not be likely to be very soon dis
turbed by the officials of justice.