The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-08
TIE ESCAPE FROY The YovBS.
How "Billy Bruce" the Celebrated Hotel Thief
Got Out Of the City Prison.
Scenes ct the Tombs Yesterday-The Female
Visitors and How They Aid and Abet
Their Incareerated Friends-The
Dreadful Chances Taken by
BILLY Bruce"-A Sketch Of
His Criminal Career.

The escape Of william J. Barclay, or "Billy
Bruce" (the latter being his real name), rom the
Tombs on Friday night has caused considerable
excitement among the criminal classes and much
wonderment among those who have the care Of
the prisoners in the City Prison. reporter Of the
HERALD visited the TOmbs yesterday for the pur-
pose OF personally ascertaining the mode OF es-
cape. 1t was during the two busy hours of the day.
when the prisoners are allowed to receive visitors
At each cell door prisoners friend or relative
holding converse with the inmate through tho
iron bars. Nearly all OF these visitors were women
and they were neatly and extensively dressed.
Meet any one OF them on Broadway, and it would
never be supposed that their fair lips or neat At
tire had been pressed closely to the iron grating OF
a cell In the T0mbs. Mrs. Walw0rth and another
lady were at Frank WalwOrth's cell. which is now
ON the ground moor in line with those occupied
by Sharkey, Gillen and other murderers. 1t Ia
this female attendance that has, doubt given the
chance Of escape to Bruce. A lady, with ladylike
manners and countenance that showed no guile.
was daily In the habit OF calling upon Bruce. That
her cOuntenance was no index to her character ts
shown in the circumstance that she was the lady
who figured so prominently about nine months
ago in the Jersey City Bank robbery.
THIS FEMALE FRIEND
no doubt conveyed into the prison, hidden away
within the mysterious folds OF the outward attire
OF woman the rope, with the steel hooks attached.
that enabled Bruce to lower himself from captivity
to freedom. This was, however, by no means all
that was needlul Tor his escape. He must have
been furnished with q skeleton key so admirable
In its construction that all locks opened to ita
touch. The rope and skeleton key once in his cell,
the next problem was how to get himself and them
out. This he easily solved. he was small man
he weighed only ninety pounds. By strange COM
Otru NcfaV hn hoAh hon
placed on the fourth tier of cells, the tier next
to the roof His cell was second from the
right hand side Of the staircase, over which stair
case was trap door in the side OF the wall leading
to the roof He was OF course locked in his cell at
bedtime to unlock the doors he had to put his
hand through the open iron work. The pacs
where the hand went through looks so small that
1t seems hardly large enough ior cnild's hand;
vet 1t was quite large enough Tor his hand to go
through, ior larger men than he, inmates OF tho
AsroNIsHED THE WARDEN
by showing him that they could pat their handA
through. Yesterday It was discovered that the
cell doors on these tiers have larger open iron
were three circumstances that favored this mans
escape 1t IL probable that 1t was accidental
NEAR naas the he roof os that he was put 'p in
cell that was near to a trap door, and which had
door openings larger than those OF the cells OF the
tiers below. Accidental or not he avaled himself
OF it, There are three keepers inside the prison az
night They pass eacn mans cen n at s
regularity OF the clock, 80 that q prisoner knows
when to expect them immediately alter midnighs
Friday Bruce put his hand through his cell door,
having first fixed his bed so that bis pillow should
represent him comfortably asleep, and with his
skeleton key he unlocked the cell door. The next
step was the daredevil act OF the whole scheme.
II Bruce unassisted In his escape 1t was liter
ally instantaneous death or almost
INSTANTANEOUS LIBERTY.
small ladder OF rough construction, used about
the prison and generally ON this tier, was placed
Oh tc ff,nf thn orrnu TS.nY 6nd 70
and its top about twelve inches from the bottom Of
this door, which was locked To reach over to this
precipitation of the man who was upon it down the
iron staircase into the lowest tier below. The
Warden has offered 500 to any Of the prisoners
unassisted, from the ladder placed as this ladder
must have been. None have accepted the Offer.
will give them their liberty. The trap door reached
in safety the rest was easy with the help OF
the hooked rope; all noise made by Bruce was
deadened by the explosion Of 4th Of July fire.
works, and he reached the street, where, no doubt
his friends were already prepared TO receive him,
known that on the charge for which he had
obtained a new trial he could never have been con-
victed 1t was Tor an alleged Motel robbery, anc
the prosecutor had
LEFT FOR CALIFORNIA
tnrn to nrove the theft against him. 4 cniitv
conscience, that makes towards Of US ALL was no
doubt. the impelling cause to his escape. He was
not quite sure that he might not be indicted for
crimes committed, but not at present traced
home to him. and therefore he would make an
effort to get away. He had been in the State Prison
at Sing Sing for q term OF i've years for burglary.
He had served term In the Pennsylvania prison
Tor hotel robbery. He was arrested in Freehold,
Monmouth county N. j., for breaking into the
room OF guest OF a prominent hotel there. and
stealing thousands of dollars worth OF diamonds,
and he escaped IRON the jail there. He was the
dread of hotel keepers and Dank officers. To-day
he is enjoying semi kind OF liberty. Messrs.
Howe Il Hummel had obtained Tor him q new
trial. and he had been brought from the State
Prison to the Tombs to await that trial. What the
result Of that trial would have been has been al
ready indicated, but there Is no doubt that the
above firm have consciously or unconscOusy been
instrumental in the escape OF notorious thief.