The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-04-28
LOCAL MATTERS.
ANOTHER JAZZ DELIVERY.
Lucien Baird Again at Large.

ihS 3hVecu uoIsc-Iuici, LuclCn balrQ,
who was deposited in our city Jail few
weeks ago for safe-keeptng, pending an ap.
plication to the Court of Appeals for q
writ OF error, yesterday morning ma lie his
escape, in company with two other prison
ers Of distinction. They broke jail at
about O'Clock, but the news did not reach
Police Headquarters until three hours later,
and then, owing to some arrangement OF
the wires, it was not communicated dis
timely to the other stations. !.
ltappears that Baird was in cell on the
lower floor Of! the Jail, and had for society
watson and Hazel, two notorious North
Carolina horse-thieyes, burglars, and coun-
terfeitcrs. and an MISUNDERSTANDING fellow
named Wilkinson, a United States prisoner.
Why it was thought best to put three such
desperadoes as Baird, Watson, and Hazel
in the same cell does not appear. Baird has
often boosted that no Jail could hold
him, and announced when he entered
his cell for the first time that he re-
served the right to escape by the very
first opportunity, Watson IS an old
jail-hird, and, it is said, has broken iail
twenty one times. Hazel is devil of the
first water. When the three put their heads
together, no wonder bolts flew back and
doors sprang open.
How the thing was done does not appear
very plaln--at least only part of the pro-
cess can I've explained. \ heavy oaken
plank, about two inches thick and well sea-
soned by age, was taken from the floor. and
by the lever this afforded the door of the
cell was priced open. The prisoners were
now in the inner yard of the Jail. How
they gotfrom this area to the outer ward is
the mystery; but somehow or other the
massive door, four inches thick, lined with
boiler iron, and secured by two stout
sliding-bolts, was opened. 1t was then an
easy task, by means OF the lever before
mentioned, to wrench out three bars at the
top Of the iron cage which encloses the
door. Crawling through The opening thus
made they were in the outer yard. They
then very deliberately took a table and
placed it in such position that to climb
from it to the roof Of the wood-holse and
thence to scramble over the wall WAS as
easy as walking up stairs. Over the wall,
they were in the street.
Capt. Capston, who keeps the jail, says
that never in his career as Il turnkey has he
been so waketul and watchfill rs on the
night of this escape, He could not shake
off the impression that something was going
wrong, and accordingly left the door OF his
room open that he might hear any noise,
and cautioned the negro servant down
stairs to keep sharp lookout. Once Or
twice after midnight he heard rather suspi-
ciolls noises, but thought it must be the
eternal stamping Of the horses in the stable.
Once he rot up and went down stairs, gun
in hand, to the door OF the inner yard, but
as he walked the noise ceased. He
applied his ear 10 the key-hole,
but was satisfied that all within
were quiet. Feeling easier, he went up
stairs and laid down. Fifteen minutes after
wards he beard another and louder noise,
and rushed out just in time to give the es-
Gaping prisoners Il parting shot as they
disappeared over the wall. His worst teals
were realized. In fifteen minutes the ras-
Gals had managed TO open that massive
door, break the bars of the grating as il
they had been sticks, haul the table across
the yard, and scramble TO the top of the
wall.
At a late hour last night nothing had
been heard of The IugitiveS ut any of the
police stations. 1t WAS unotlicially stated
that Governor Walker had offered i reward
OF SlG0 for the apprehension Of Baird, and
that Sergeant Lee had supplemented the
same 10y an offer of $50 for the capture OF
either of the escaped prisoners. Our friends
in The country had better guard we'll their
stables for the next few days.