The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-06-28

The ESCAPE OF WAGNER-A dispatch to
the Herald gives interesting particulars of the
escape Of Wagner from Alfred Jail.
"The Jail is an eighth of mile from the vii
lage, and was recently built of brio /, with gran
trimmings. at cost of $4,000. The interior
arrangements are such, that prisoner can cas-
ly get into an unoccupied attic, and thence
+ through the jailor's apartments to the free ali
outside. Notwithstanding the newness and
high cost of the Jail the locks are of such primi
tive construction that the prisoners have been in
the habit of picking them with small strips of
wood and wandering about the building at will.
Yet after this was known, and Wagner had
boosted that he would soon be free. no care was
taken to iron him or provide additional Sc
curity, except the employment of night watch.
The dummy" which Wagner left in the bed
and which the Waterman vigilantly gu rded ali
night, was very ingenious, and looked as il a
man was lying on his left side, on the bed, as if
in pain, with his head buried in the clothes,
with perhaps large book under his hip his
knees nearly at right angles, and he wrapped 10
coarse blanket. One would pass it unnoticed
This device was formed by placing his prison
stool in bed, with the SCAT toward the head, at
taching blankets at the foot, and covering it
apparently carelessy. The head, also covered,
consisted'of an old GRUB pan" so called, and a
short broom. CALVIN Bennett the jalor, makes
the following statement: 8.
81 have been jailer nearly seven weeks.
employ two watchmen. Those on laet night
were John Hall and John j. Maddox. / am
positive Wagner was in his cell at 9 o'clock
Ore of the prisoners passed him water then I.
Maddox and Hall conversed with several pris-
oners at odd intervals-not near Wagner-0nce
with man OIL the directly opposite side of the
Jail from him. At 10 o'clock James Avery saw
Wagner go down stairs. The watch soon after
went down stairs and conversed with Avery;
then returned and went round on Wagner
side. I can't tell whether tney returned to the
Office or were seated in the Jail when Wagner
took water. Prisoner James Carpenter saw
Wagner pass his (Carpenter's) cell in the even
ing. VIM. McCarty and Charles Harrington
escaped also Isuppose they went through the
scuttle in the jail, up through the ventlator, on
to the roof, with the intention If lowering them
selves down on a rope of blanket strips but see.
ing the skylight, removed pane of glass, put
an arm in, Embossed the window descended
the ladder and made their way out through the
family part. There was nothing to prevent one
from so doing if he once got on the roof. This
morning / was called at $50 by Maddox. He
said Wagner is killed or is missing. Asked if
he had entered the cell. He said he had not;
he was afraid of Wagner's playing some game
on him. or that he might strike him with a
stool. opened the cell and entered. had
no fear. saw what looked like a man on the
hand on his supposed knees and found it to be
q stool covered with blanket. I said, 'he is
not here understood Maddox to report that
Wagner had escaped before he came. Notified
Sheriff Warren at Saco by telegraph. Hall
and Maddox had watched two nights in sue
cession, having been engage by Warren. The
telegraph was not in order wheL / first sent
the message to the Office at o'clock, and it
was not sent till 81