Connecticut western news., 1873-12-05
4 Murderer,s EscanA.

At one o'clock in the afternoon W. J. Sharkey, who was sentenced to be hang ed for-the killing of Robert Dunn, es- capped from the Tombs, New York. Ever since his imprisonment Sharkey has behaved badly, the Warden could not persuade him to conduct himself quietly, and found it necessary to keep him closely confined. Naturally ex- citable, he quarreled with the keepers, his afianced, Maggie Jourdan, his counsel, and almost every one with whom he came in contact. On one oc- casion prisoner confined on short term undertook to pilot few visitors through the prison. Sharkey was walk ing in the lower corridor, his cell being in the condemned row. The guide pointed to Sharkey and said to the visi- tors, "That's the man who was sen- fenced to death." Sharkey heard what the guide said, but did not speak.
 A short time afterward he met the guide and asked, "How did you know I was to be hanged ?" "I read it in the newspaper, '" said the guide, quiver- ing. "You read it in the newspapers, did you. Take that" and Sharkey knocked him down. After this the Warden ordered that he be locked up.
 For four months Sharkey's cell door has not been opened, and 1t was SUD- posed that he was carefully guarded, but on the day in question he made an escape which must be recorded as among the most brilliant from the Tombs. Maggie Jourdan has visited him every day, Sundays excepted, since his imprisonment, and his brothers have scarcely missed day.
 On the morning in question Maggie Jourdan, attired as usual, came to the Tombs about 10 o'clock, and passing the keeper at the outer gate, walked through the yard and ascended to Sharkey's cell, on the second tier of the male prison. She remained there for nearly three hours and half. The keeper on the tier noticed nothing un usual, and saw nothing in her behavior to indicate anything wrong, especially as her conduct while visiting the prison previously had been of the most ex- emplary character. Sarah Allen, the leading figure in the escape, next ap- peared. She came into the prison about l o'clock to see 8 man named Flood, confined on the third tier. She received red ticket, or pass, from Keeper Falconer, at the outer gate, and entered the prison. Before going to the third tier, she stopped at Sharkey's cell, on the second tier, and conversed with him and Maggie Jourdan for few moments. Then she passed up stairs to the third tier. Maggie Jourdan at once left the prison. In about twenty minutes Sarah Allen came down in order to leave the prison, and on being stopped at the gate, said she had lost her pass. The alarm was at once given, and it was found that Sharkey's cell was empty. On his cell being entered it was found that he had evidently left the prison in suit of women's clothes, for his ordinary wearing apparel was thrown around the cell, where it had evidently been discarded in 8 hurry. He had shaved off his moustache, and the razor used and the lather remained on his dressing-table. In front of the door, on the corner of chair, he had placed gray felt hat, so that casual passer-by looking through the door would only see the hat and imagine that Sharkev still occupied the cell