The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-05-02
IN Prison -Ag0in.
BRICELAND CAPTURED BY TWO FARMERS
HOW, WHEN, AND WHERE IT WAS
ACCOMPLISHED-HIS OWN ACCOUNT
OF THE EsCAPE-HIS WANDER
INGS. SUEFERINGs. ETC.

OF THE EsCAPE-HIS WANDER
INGS, sUFFERINGs, ETC.
On Saturday morning, about seven o.
clock, Henry Briceland, the convict murder
er of John Allingham, was returned to the /
Washington county jail almost as quietly .
and as unexpectedly as he had escaped |
from it, ON the Saturday evening week (
before. He was not dragged back, In /
irons. bv any officer of the law, but came
like a voluntary visitor, between two farm
ers of West Virginia, who had found him
the evening previous sleeping on the hay
in their barn. The fact of his recapture
was soon telegraphed to this city, and by
this time it is pretty well known every
where. After being safely placed i'll his
cell Briceland was quite communicative,
and gave a detailed account of the manner
in which the escape effected, Of his
travels and sufferings from the time he left
the iail until lie was captured, and the man.
ner in which the latter was accomplished.
BRICELAND's STORY OF THE ESCAPE.
II anpears that Edwards, the English
rrisoner, Hughes and himself were the par
ties who planned the escape by means of
false KEYS made of lead. Briceland dug
ont A rough mould i'll the leg of a chair,
and Edwards Whitfield one i'll the floor Of his
cell. The lead, as has been previously sta
ted. was cut from waste pipe IN the water
closet, ana WAS iiicibGNl III COsti SIi'NcI oN
intervals while the prisoners were allowed
the use of The hall for exercise. After
the KEYS were cast BIiceland cut off the
rough edges by means of = caseknite and
oditsted them to the lock. The key for
the Sherif's Office through which they had
to pass was made by guess, as they had no
means of obtaining an impression OF 1t.
! The other prisoners had been let into the
secret, and when the favorable time for
: l., 81, .f9,,, (TIp
the first to put it into execution.
THE PLAN WORKED TO a CHARM.
! His key was found to fit exactly, and
| the lock, worn smooth by long use, yielded
/ to it. The ponderous doors swung open
and the prisoners found themselves i'll the
| Sheriff's office, from which window OF
! fered easy exit into the yard of the jail.
! BriceIand says that when he had climbed
/ up to this opening, and was half way out,
! his heart sank within him and he on
/ the verge of turning back but a prisoner
named Null, who had been committed for
| stealing wood, gave him push and .he fell
to the ground outside, where he lay some
what stunned for several seconds. BY that
( time the prisoners had all got out, and find
! ing the gates of the yard open and no one
to dispute their departure, they walked off,
each one taking separate direction.
WEAK AND wAvERING FUGITIVE.
AS lpE ne was NSIS "Cth anu
dispirited and walked but a short distance
at that time. Finding a sheep-shed, he
crawled into it and tried to sleep, but owing
to excitement of mind and fear, was unable
to do 50. After remaining there several
hours he arose and walked on, directing
his steps towards Eldersville, which, if he
really wished to escape, should have been
the last place for him to go to, as almost
| every person in that neighborhood knew
: I, hn y-n11lH at least ha RNnnSpd
the efforts of the friends of the murdered
man. who, independent of the reward,
would be likely to do everything they could
to secure his re-arrest. On Sunday and
Monday lie remained concealed in the barn
of Mr.. Wright, sleeping most of the time.
On Monday night he continued his course,
laying over on Tuesday in an clubhouse,
attached to the farm of Mr.. S. S. Gardner
HUNGRY MIDNIGHT wANDERHR.
The first square meal he seems to have
eaten was on Tuesday night, when he dined
about midnight at a campfire in the woods
off of a ham he had stolen from the place
of Mr.. Gardner. The spot is in a deeI
ravine, and is the same place where Sher
iff Ramsey and his posse discovered his
campfire and footprints on the day fol
lowing. Becoming alarmed, he seems tC
have retraced his steps somewhat and again
sought shelter in the haymOw of MIR
/ Wright's barn. He remained there unit
Thursday might, when he started under
cover of darkness with the remnants o.
his ham in a bag swung over his back, ano
travelled toward Golfers Station. Abou
daylight on Friday morning he arrived ol
the farm of MeSsrs. Robert and Alfred
I Caldwell brothers, and creeping int
their barn buried himself i'll the hay. Be
tween six and seven O'Clock in the evening
the brothers, as was their custom, atte
, supper proceeded to the barn for the pur
pose Of seeing that everything was safe 70
the night.
) DISCOVERED IN THE HAYMOw.
Mr. Alfred Caldwell had occasion to as
{ ceud the ladder leading to the haymow, il
, order to inspect some hens nests LOCATED
there, ard noticing that the hay had beel
= tossed about, suspected that there wa
something wrong. Procuring his hay fork
he probcd the hay, and was suddenly start
f led to see it move, and Immediately calle'
on his brother to come mp. Just as he di,
so, Briceland emerged from the hay, an,
facing his discoverers, smiled grimly.-
When they had recovered from their sur
prise one of the brothers, who knew hin
| well, said, ''What shall we do with you p
. Briceland replied i'll an imploring tone
! Hadn't you better let me goY' The.
, told him that they could not do that, as
would be aiding and abetting his escape
t and that the only thing they could do a
S'l
, lier Station, which was but half a mile dis
tant and deliver him to the Washington
county officers, some of whom were ther
at that time. Briceland begged them no
| to do that, but to take him to Washington
themselves, and promised to go withou
> giving them any trouble. In this tn
; farmers assented, and after giving him hi
supper they placed him on horseback, an,
: one of them riding on either side Of him
: they started on Cheir journey, riding a
: night and arriving as above stated abou
, seven O'Clock next morning.
THE PRISONER RETURNED TO JAIL.
:. The Caldwell brothers seemed to do a
= they did more as a duty for which the
e were held responsible than from any stron
p desire to have the prisoner recaptured
= They did not tie him or take any particu
. | lar precautions to prevent his escape fror
thn,,, nnh II l. Said that if Rriceland ha