Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-29
A DARING EXIT
Escape Of Charles Collins from jail
He Hakes Rope Of Blankets and
Descends Sixty Feef-A Saw Fur.
niShed Him nv FrfeudS

nished Him by Friends.
At eight o'clock last night it was discoy-
cred that Charles III. Collins had made his
escape from Jail. The alarm was sounded
at once, and policemen put upon an lmme-
date search for the fugitive. AUNION
AND AMERICAN reporter was at the jail
within fifteen minutes after the occurrence,
and was admitted to the cell which Collins
had so unexpectedly vacated.
He fot,nd thst tbs pihcr five occupants
of the eell-D. Baiz, j.. /. Harni!trti.
John Smith, ]. IL. Hathecock and
KeSsler - had been removed to an
adjoining cell. On the floor OF the apart
ment vacated. was a rope, some thirty OF
forty feet long, composed Of blankets torn
into strips and knOtted together. At the
farther end Of the cell is a grated Window,
from which four bars had been neatly re-
moved by means Of keen edged saw, the
bars being sawed entirely in two, the
aperture thus formed being about twelve
inches long BY nine in height. The win
dow looks out upon the river bluff where it
is at least sixty feet to the ground, and
Collins must Of had a fall Of at least twenty
feet. His watch, broken TO pieces, was
found last night at a spot Immediately
under the window, from which the escape
was made.
Collins wife has been visiting hi m three
times per week for four weeks past and was
with him day before yesterday, at which
time she brought him a suit Of clothes, in
which he dressed himself yesterday evena
ing. II is altogether probable that she also
furnished him with the saw with which he
cut the bars, which are an inch and a halt
in diameter. His fellow occupants Of the
cell told our reporter that Collins has been
sleeping on the floor Of the cell, near the
door. until recently when he changed bis
lodging place to the efnbrasure Of the win
dow, in which he had been sleeping for
three nights in succession. They
said they were engaged in playing cards,
and knew nothing whatever Of Collins
plans until Kessler happened 10 look up
and saw him disappearing through the win
dow, feet foremost lie gave the alarm
and Mr.. Davidson, the night watchman,
ran from the Office into the Jail building,
learned the cause Of the alarm and at once
notified the police, but UP to a late hour
last night, the capture Of Collins had not
been Effected.
1t is reported that Mrs. Collins intended
10 leave the city yesterday for Savannah, Ga,
where she has relatives residing, and Col
lins remarked 10 a fellow prisoner last
night that his wife had taken
supper that evening at his
sisters, in Atlanta, and il is supposed that
he will attempt to make his way to that
point or Savannah. The train which came
in from the South and left for Louisville al
1910 last night was searched by Officers
Reed and Curran, but the man they were
looking for didn't happen to be aboard.
Collins is a large man, weighing about
100 pounds, and it is surprising that he
managed to escape through so small an
aperture. He is the man who assaulted
Officer John Allison last November, cutting
him so badly as 10 main him for life.