The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-08-18
Miscellaneous.
Escape From the Eastern Penitentlary.

Escape From the Eastern Penltentlary.
An escape from the Eastern Peniten-
tiary has generally been regarded as
among the impossible things The con.
stant watchfulness that Is exercised the
manner in which the convicts are con-
fined, and the difficulty In procuring
the necessary aids to flight, supposing
the plan looked to scaling of the walls,
all tended to create that belief. No one,
not even those who have been the long
est connected with the Penitentiary as
managers or keepers, had the least idea
that small culvert used for drainage
would be the means Of facilitating es-
cape.
Three of the convicts, all negroes,
two Of whom had been sent from one of
the interior counties for horse stealing !,
the other convict whose good conduct
had so won upon the confidence of the
warden and keepers, that he was en-
ployed as a runner on one of the corri.
dors, were enabled to effect their en-
largement on Monday afternoon of last
week, under these circumstances. Two
of the fugitives were engaged in white
washing the cells and otherwise purify.
ing them, and discovering the grating
over the opening into the culvert, they
watched an opportunity when the over
seer was momentarlly absent, and lift
ing the plate made their way down into
the culvert, followed by the runner,
who had doubtless been spoken to on
the subject of flight
The men were missed very soon after
wards, but until the condition of the
grating was discovered, It was not
thought they had any intention of leav-
ing the penitentiary. Now it was ap-
parent to the keepers that they had de-
scended into the culvert, but none sup
posed they would be able to reach the
street. 1t was known that when the
Coates street culvert was built, cato
had been placed at the mouth of the
penitentiary culvert, to prevent the es-
cape of prisoners, and this was depend
ed upon to check their flight in that di-
rection. They were, however, able to
remove it, and to make their way into
the new culvert on Corinthian avenue,
along which they passed as far as Par
rish street. At this point, a crack in
the plate covering the man hole, sent
ray of light through to the imprisoned
men, and they began to knock against
the plate. The noise was heard by some
boys playing in the street, and they as
sisted to raise the cover.
The story Of the men was that they
had been sent into the culvert to clean
it, aud, having been almost suffocated
with foul air, they wanted to get out.
Their story was believed, they were as
sisted out and made their escape. The
officers of the Penitentiary had not
thought Of the C0rinthian avenue cul-
vert, not supposing there could be
passage from the drainage culvert of
the Penitentiary to it. Nor did they
believe it possible the men could go
safely through the small culvert, which
is said to be but two and half feet in
diameter and several hundred feet long.
The fugitives are named Chas. Dare and
John and William Thomas. They had
been sentenced to long terms for horse
stealing. They had behaved very we'll,
and for that reason had been put to
whitewashing.
The trio were captured near Harris.
burg several days after their escape and
sent back to prison.