The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-30
A BLACEWEIL'S ISLAND STAMPEDE.
How to Got ont of the Penitentiary-The Escape
Of six convicts-Recapturs Of Three-The
\ Story Of the Flight as Told by
Gao Of the Fugitivss

The sN'se OF security IRON criminals experienced
by oar c.the ems upon reading OF the conviction OF
notorious de pcradocs is in fair way 70 DO shaken
by the frequer>t escapes from Biackwens Island.
Then their leslikgs OF relief give place to doubts
AZ 60 where anu when they shall next encounter
tho released con,vcts In She metropolis. It Ia oer-
tain, beyond do.tt. that u change either In tho
location or in the present system OF the Peniten-
ttary s imperative. III, as Is frequently asserted.
1t Ii i'm possible TO preUat the escape OF few pris
oners during tho SUmm0x months when the shores
OF Long Island can be reached by swimming, then
some other location should be chosen and the cree
ton OF q new structure begun. II, on tue other
hand, the escape OF cOnyicts IL due
TO the neniciency OF the guard or
the want of discipline. it should be
the fret duty of Warden Fitch TO
remedy and correct these branch es OF the service.
II IL takes double the number OF boats TO patrol
the water front they should be furnished by the
new Board OF Commissioners at their FIRST sitting.
The idea that criminals cannot be kept securely
upon an island like Blaokweli's Ii generally re-
garded rs absurd. and public opinion charges tho
faults OF the institution to mismanagemenk
THE EsCAPE or SIX ooNvIoTs
No longer ago tnan last Monday afternoon ak
c0nvicts Effected their escape from the northern
end OF tho Island by 0verpowerlng the guard ana
by crossing In a boat to the Long Island
shore. The steam tug Hope took barge
to the Lunatic Asylum point 10 be un-
loaded. When the barge was brought into
position Keeper John Mccarthy took SIX prisoners
in the guard boat and went with them to the barge.
The guard boat then returned toward the shore.
Six prisoners took possession OF the boat upon its
touching the shore, seized and overpowercd the
guard, Thomas w. Eastburn and, obtaining posses
sion OF the carbine, the conycts in the boat kept
the guards on shore at bay. Keeper Cornelius
Dougherty was too much inundated to fire after
the fusitives. The oarsmen In the boat were then
forced to row the excursion party to the Long
Island shore. where the carbine was returned to
the guard after the loads had been carefully drawn
The oonyicts then made good their escape to the
woods.
THREE RECAPTURED.
Keepers were Immediately sent out by the
Warden in pursuit, but the fugtives from justice
eluded their jalers, and the deputies returned IN
despair Warpen Fitch then sent keepers to watch
each OF the Long Island ferries The vigil was
without success until late at night, when Daniel
twenty.slx years. and stephen Deedy, aged twenty
nine years. were seen approaching the Grand
street ferry. The police AZ once took them in
charge The recaptured convlcts were returned to
Backwell's Island yesterday afternoon having
enjoyed their liberty only twenty-iour hours. The
other three have not yet been captured, and the
Warden fears that they have made good their
escape by crossing the river in small boat instead
OF trusting to the ferries.
WHO THE PRISONERS ARE.
The six cOnylctS who escaped were :-Daniel
Smith, April II, 1871 three years for burglary In
third degree, yet remaining eleven months and
fifteen days OF sentence; stephen Deedy, December
0, 1871 two years Tor attempt at burglary third
degree, due seven months and eight days; Nelson
Pare, alias Peter LA Due, September 7, 1872, one
year for possessing burglars TOOLS yet due
tence four months and ten days. John Halloran,
November o. 1872, one year for attempt at grand
larceny due six months and twenty-five days;
petit larceny, due twenty eight days; stephen
INES February is, 1873, one year for assault and
battery due nine months and twenty-one days.
Page and lines were sent up from the Special
Sessions and the others from the General Sessions
WHAT ONE OF THE PRISONERS SAYS
Daniel Smith, one OF the recaptured convicts,
was interviewed yesterday afternoon by HERALD
reporter. The reporter found HIM In dark cell on
the first tier OF the new wing OF the Pententiary.
He appeared very tired, but, although rather dis
cOuraged, quite cheerful. He laughed about his re-
capture, evidently regarding the escape as good
joke upon his keepers
'.what route did you takeSr asked the reporter.
''Aiter we left the boat,n replied Smith, 1--WE all
struck inland. We had no definite purpose only to
put many rods OF land between US and the island
ran for SIX miles almost without stopping. We
went to farmhouse and got all the clothes we
wanted. The people seemed willing to give them
to US, but they may have been afraid. We then
separated into two gangs. Our party came around
by Calvary Cemetery after dark and thence on foot
to the Grand street ferry, where We were cap
tured.r