Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-11-07
The Providence JniI-Breakimg.
BOLD, CLEVER AND SUCCESSFUL OPER-
ALTON.

A BOLD, CLEVER AND SUCCESSFUL OPER-
ALTON.
The escape of two conyicts from the
Rhode Island State Prison, at Proyi-
dence, Thursday morning last, proves to
have been a very bold and successful
operation. Elisha f. Peck, who engin-
eered the scheme, had attended the even
inc school which is connected with the
prison, Wednesday evening, but, through
the Carelessness of the officer in charge,
whose business it is to see each member
of the school secured in his cell afterthe
exercises are over, he succeeded in es-
Gaping down stairs into an unOccupied
cellar, without detection; and, through
the further carelessness of the night
Waterman, whose duty it is to see that
every prisoner is in his cell at half-past
eight o'clock, his absence went unnOtiC-
ed, and he remained in his hding-place
until about quarter past one. While in
the cellar he got possession OF a piece OF
steam pipe, 18inches in length, and he
then took a position at the head of the
stairs, and, Selling a favorable OppOrtu-
nity as the Waterman was making his
rounds, he sprang upon him, and with a
blow of his imprOvised weapon knock
ed him down. The Waterman struggled
violently, but was finally overpOwered,
when Peck tied his hands with his sus-
pender and piece of BEDFORD, took his
revolver and left him on the floor. He
then visited the cells of several prison
ers and urged them to join him, but
found no one willing or able to leave his
cell until he arrived at the one where
Charles Williams was confined Will
liams is man of much ingenuity, and
during the three years he has been in
prison has made some half dozen keys,
of bits of tin and sheet-iron which he
procured from his bedstead and in other
WAYS, one of which-which was taken
from him before he had a chance to use
it-would unlock his cell-dOOr as easily
as the key that was made for it. All his
previous attempts to use them, however,
had been thwarted and the keys taken
from him, but he is supposed to have re-
with materials which Peck brought that
night from the cellar and passed into
his cell-and in a short time he had
opened the door. The two then took up
the unconscious watchman and dragged
him down stairs into the cellar.
A more difficult task, however, still
remained-to get outside the prison walls
and for nearly three hours they made
no progress, but at last they brought in
to requsition successfully their knowl-
edge of the prison regulations. 1t is
! customary for the night Waterman at
| o'clock, every morning, to ring bell,
the wire of which is in the corridor COM
| municating with the room of the steward
| to awaken the latter for the preparations
for breakfast. At the regular hour,
therefore, the two prisoners rang the
bell, and the steward rose, dressed and
opened the door on his way through the
corridor to the cook room The moment
the door opened, however, he was grab
bed by Peck. but not,secured, and in a
moment he had knocked his assai ant
down. Fortunately for the latter, Viii
liams came at once to his assistance, and
struck the steward on the head with the
butt of a revolver, stunning him for a
moment, and despite his vigorous stru9-
giles, the two soon pounded him into in-
sensibility. Reaching the office they at
tempted to pry open the door leading in
to the jail yard. but without success !;
nor could they force onen another door
which they tried. There was a side
door, however, of light material, which
was locked and bolted, and with this
they were more successful, succeeding
without much difficulty in breaking it
open and making good their escape into