Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-02
now H4GNLR ESCAPED.

a despatch from Alfred on Monday 10 the
Argus is as follows
Wagner reached here on the : 80 train
from Rochester in charge of Deputy Sheriff
Scranton, Of Pennington, N. II. He was
heavily roned, and Immediately placed in jail
When he came in sight of the iail he pointed
to it and laughngly said, There is Alfred
jail: I've been there" In answer to cues
tons by your reporter, as to how he effected
his escape, he said, that at half-past nine the
watchmen came and looked into his cell
They saw the dummy, and thinking all was
right went into the corridor on the southwest
side of the prison, and commenced conversing
with another prisoner. This statement diff
fers from the one made by the watchmen
themselves. AS soon as they had gone he
unlocked his cell door, climbed up on the
railing to the tier above, and drew the staple
from the scuttle with the leg of a stool. The
other two had gone half an hour before. just
as he had got through the watch returned.
He hastily closed the scu,tle, drew himself up
through the ventilator, got out on the roof,
which having a tin covering, obliged him to
use extreme caution, thence through the sky
light, and down stairs. He passed a room
where the occupants were asleep without dis
turbing them, passed into the Office of the
Jail, and made his escape through door in
tIle hltCHeH He otheTs were waiting out
side. They had taken blankets and tied them
together to lower themselves from the roof to
the attic.
After they got outside they passed round
the court house, and struck on to the railroad.
They went direct to Springvale stopping near
a hotel and getting drink of water. They
then went on to East Rochester. Friday
night house was entered in East Rochester,
and trunk containing s. 900 in bonds stolen.
The inmates of the house were awakened,
and pursued the thieves, compelling them to
drop their booty. The burglars escaped, and
it is supposed they were Wagner and his as
sociates, but Wagner makes no mention of
the incident, but says the others lief. him at
Springvale. Being afraid of wild animals,
he said, he slept in the road, and one night
came near being run over by team. lie
passed through Rochester village at nine
o'clock in the evening, where several persons
spoke to him, but no one mistrusted who he
was. lie pursued his travels day and night.
and said he had no fears of being taken. Ar
irving at Pennington he went to the farm
house for food. He tried to milk COW using
! his hat for dish, but she would not stand
! still.
Wagner gives ludicrous account of how
he was finally captured. He says after he ate
his meal he started to leave. Being very
tired he walked slow. Looking behind he
saw the farmer and three other men coming
after him and waving their hands frantically.
They came up to him and graycly informed
him thar some prisoners had escaped from
Alfred, and asked if lie was one of them.
All this time they kept some distance from
him, half frightened out oftheir wits. Finally
one OF them raised pole as if to strike him,
when he told them they would be sorry if
they injured him. He then told them he was
! Wagner, and if they were hard up they might
take him. He made no resistance, and about
twenty-five having now collected, they took
him prisoner, and bore him in triumph back
to the village, where they gave him plenty to
eat, and kept him in little wooden house
Sunday. This morning they brought him to
Alfred.
Wagner says he only went cut to stretch
his limbs and see some of the pretty girls he
firted with during his trial. He thinks he
should have returned in a day or two. He
says he likes Bennett, the jalor. hut hates
Sheriff Warren.