Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-25
TVH u y
Your well wisher,

II, C. L. DORSEY.
P. S.-Dunniken gave me his keys as a token
of his thankfulness for my hospitality. Pll
send them to Mr.. HAYNES with this, so that if he
(Dunnken) followed in your footsteps they will
be all ready and at. hand for him TO unlock his
tool drawer and go to work without loss of
time. Dorsey"
The officers detailed to secure the arrest of
Dunniken arrived in New York Friday morning.
and the same night the house of his sister in
Brooklyn was surrounded, to prevent any pos
sibilty of escape, and to arrest Dunniken if he
should happen to come in during the evening.
At three o'clock on Saturday morning the Bos-
ton detectives and four Brooklyn officers went to
the house and rang the bell. The prisoner him
self came to the door, when one of the local DO
lice inquired for the brother-in-law by name
Dunniken called him, and came down himself
to take another look at the officers. When the
brother-in-law came down Mr. Jones made
known his GRAND, so much confusing the man
that he could hardly speak, and he went up and
informed his wife that John was wanted Her
suspicious were aroused at once and her replies
were so confused as to give no satisfaction except
to indicate that the prisoner was in the house.
Mr.. Jones had not seen him for fifteen years,
and did not know him. Jones went to speak to
another officer, and in the meantime Dunniken
came out of the basement door, under the front
one, and walked away a rod or two before being
discovered. The officers had orders 70 let no
one pass, and, as soon as he was seen, Jones
and another officer gave chase After hard
run for a half mile they caught him, and as
they put their hands upon him he gave up say
ing he could not resist, for he was disabled.
But for this, he declared, he would never have
been taken alive.
The fact that Dunniken is suffering from q
broken shoulder seems to corroborate the story
told by Freeman, who says he fell from a train
on the Erie road, but from the circumstance it
is probable that he saw or fancied he saw an
officer on board whose errand was his capture.
and jumped off while the train was running.
This was about five weeks ago, and explains his
disability to resist capture. He then went to his
sisters house, where he has since remained
The prisoner was taken by officers Jones and
Pinkham aboard the train of the Shore line on
Saturday afternoon, arriving at the Boston and
Albany depot at halfpast eleven p. NJ. They
then took hack and drove Immediately to the
prison, and Dunniken made his fourth entrance
to the institution few minutes before midnight
having been gone four months.
As he entered the main door to the prison he
was met by Warden Haynes, who extended his
hand and said, Good evening, Dunniken: |
am glad to see you" With deep sigh the lin-
fortunate man took the warden's hand, and
with hollow laugh, which betrayed the bitter
ness Of his feelings, he answered: 81 can't say
am glad to be here; but you have got the boy
back again." The handouts were then removed
from his wrists, and he was,conyeyed to a cell
Dunniken is about forty-two years old, and at
the iine OF ms escape was serving out his third
term at the prison. His first condemnation was
about twenty-five years ago, when he was in
generated on two years sentence with his
father. Not long after his release he was de-
tected in housebreakiug, and received iudg-
ment of thirty years. He remained twelve
years, during which lime he was very industri-
Gus, but never lost an opportunity to attempt
to escape. AT the end Of twelve years he was
pardoned through the influence of the warden.
and enlisted in the army. After serving a short
time he deserted and returned to Boston. Short
ly after, he fell into his old ways, was caught
breaking and entering, and sentenced to twenty
three years imprisonment. He had served
about six years of this sentence, when, in March
last, he escaped. Dunniken is represented by
the warden to be one OF the smartest and most
ingenious men ever incarcerated within the
prison walls. During his last term he has never
gwen the officers any trouble, but, on the con.
: tfary, mas been very assiduous. His prison life