The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-08-24
WILSON TIE MuIDzREa.
Some Facts in the Previous Lie Of the Muir. |
derer OF Warden Willard OF the Connecticut |
State Prison.

eOmC cucLS IN tnc frcVlOuB Lie OF the Muir
derer OF Warden Willard OF the Connecticut
State Prison.
LFrom the Hartford Courant, August 22l
There are many facts hitherto unpublished con-
serning the life OF Wilson, who murdered Warden
Willard of the State prison, which will come to
light probably before the great criminal dies.
The story of his life has not yet been in print
Much that the papers have published has been
pure fiction. Public interest will not so much
centre in the details of his burglares as in the &C.
counts which may be given OF his marvellous es
capes from prison walls. There has not been no
dexterous criminal in the United States during
the time of perfected prison discipline the his
tory OF his operations will show As an example
Of his escapes, the writer who has held many in
terviews with him, may here aude briefly to his
heglra from the New Jersey State prison. He
said he got away from there because the warden
took him for o fool, and he wished to convince
ventilating 1ue connecting with chimney,
and crawled to the open air. Before
his escape was discovered he was secreted.
The first night out he broke into country store,
not six miles from the prison, and there secured
few yards OF cloth, shears needles, thread, &C.,
and before mo.-f~g he got into the woods. Here
be cut and made suit of clothes, having provided
for his keeping during the time required to COM
plete the work by stealing and killing chicken at
a farm house on his way to the woods. Many
criminals would not have had the pluck and con-
6dence to risk burglary for the sake of stealing
what he did, yet it was necessary to his final
escape that he should p some way dispose of his
prison uniform. When his rig was finished he was
as good as disguised in it, and straghtway pro.
ceeded to the nearest depot and boldly took the
cars. He read description of himself and re-
ward offered in the depot. But he wasn't the man
at all he didn't answer the description Details
of the escape would do for Dick Turpin novel.
His burglary here in Hartford of Brown, Thomp-
son & Co.'s store, was well planned and executed,
and only slip trapped him. He had secreted
part of his stolen goods in a corn shed in
Berlin, ana taxing bag or two Of silks, drove
to Meriden. He must leave his horse some.
where, and he drove it under shed very early in
the morning, near what appeared to be a farmers
house. He supposed, and naturally too, that
farmer lived there; but it happened to be bank
officer. Had Wilson known that he would have
driven further on. "Tm not such fool as that"
he said, Ito drive up to a bank officers door; he
would be suspicious OF burglary any way; farmer
never would have suspected" The hired man on
the premises discovered the team and reported to
the bank officer, who at once had the Meriden Of
Ulcers notified, and Wilson and his companions
were arrested. It is doubtful il Wilson would
have been caught if his feet were sound; but both
being amputated he is not the man he was. He
said to the writer:-"I the situation of things
at the depot before got there, but knew it was
Of no use to do anything but face 1t; could not
runl Since the loss Of his feet lie has, of course,
labored under q great disadvantage Before
that he had noted criminals in his
pany who would aid him if he got into
trouble, but when his own powers of escape
were weakened they said that he was
u
= 80 he was forced to "go it alone" In this he
lost two-thirds of his former glores as profess
i, sional burglar, and he felt it keenly. His at
tempts at escape since he has been in Wethers-
field this time have been mere feints to impress
people that he was invncible. The talk about it
touched his pride. and that was all he expected.
He knew he could not get out; that it was virtu-
ally life sentence, ana the best he could do was
to commit some awful crime which would end his
days. The idea that he murdered Captain Will
lard to get back into jail, where his chances Of
escape would be better ~, is absurd. He was
pretty well convinced before he left the Jail that
he was firmly secured there, and so he was, and
will be whenever he shall be returned there
to be brought up for trial. There are many
things about the man which utterly incompre
hensible to those who have studied his character
the closest. Nothing in his talk betokens the vii
lain; but one who converses with him much will
observe the strange GOODNESS of his eye, while yet
there is something about the singular curves Of
his mouth which tells OF cunning aud Ieaohery.