The New York herald., 1874-08-11
THE BURGLARS BIT
How the Birds Fly from
Sing Sing.
Bankers and Merchants Beware
Of Your Windows.
A New and Formidable Implement OF
Predatory Warfare.

Tho readers OF the HERALD Will probably stlll
have fresh In their minds the excitement and In.
6ignation caused during the ten months previous
to April last by the periodical leakage which TOOK
place from our great receptacle for the predatory
and violent classes, Sing Sing. 1t seemed an
astounding thing that with o force OF wardens
and keepers so completely masters OF their busl-
ness as the employees Of Sing Sing must have been,
and with such perfect ana formidable means at
their disposal for the safe keeping of the nsaucdis
sujets therein confined, that so large q number Of
convicts should succeed In eluding the vigilance ~
OF the odcers there and return to prey on society.
There was one remarkable feature noticeable in
these escapes: the lucky fugttives did
not belong to the rank and file Of
the army OF Mercury; they were the
ARIsroCRACY OF CRIME.
These were none of your clumsy, half-hearte6
practitioners. but graduates Of the highest rank in
that ubiquitous university whose sole philosophi-
cal tenet is che identity OF the terms nsesIm and
tu1n. Observing men at once saw that this uni
formity Of auahty in the stun OF which the escaped
convicts were made, pointed to something system-
attic and organized in the withdrawal OF these
gentry from their forced retirement. The one in.
ference admissible was that money must be freely
circulating, and that In favor of these predatory
patricians. Bolts and bars are not amenable to
any golden argument, but greenbacks, In these
days, are what chemists would call great solvent
OF virtue. The reason, too why those outside
Sing Sing interested in the escape OF their COM
eres should select as the objects OF their solicit
ous attention the best cracksmen in durance,
was very substantial one. Tne ordinary thief
is OF no use to his pals; he merely renders opera
tiOns additionally dangerous and Is much better
out Of the way. But money expended in procur-
ing the return to his vocatons Of the first class
<hfaf So uot,l ,lo I'M noUfi in
asmuch as he can II long enough at large, pay
back the principal, with good interest This sum-
ciently explains the anxiety OF the fraternity to
the escape of the best men and TO leave the
smaller fry time enough in prison to mediate
upon the grave drawbacks and
PENALTIES ATTACHING TO MEDIOCRITY
in this exciting and absorbing profession. 1t will
be at once apparent how grave two-fold danger
society incurs from these escapes. Not only Is the
expert thief again let loose on society, but those
at largo stimulated in their nefarious trade by
the belief that conviction itself will bring them
nothing more than species OF holiday, to which
they can put end as soon as they wish to return
to pusiness.n To such men the idea Of
going to Sing sing has no more terror than
his annual residence at fashionable watering
place has to the overworked merchant Of New
York. The removal OF the c0nvicts from Sing Sing
altogether has, as the re ,ders Of the HERALD arc
well aware, Deen earnestly discussed In the Legis-
lature The facilities for escape are best proved
by the great number which had taken place mp "a
April last The advantages of the present site are
mainly felt by the contractors, whose materials
are readily and cheaply transportable by water.
But, in q matter OF such transcendent Importance
as the safe keeping Of the dangerous classes,
neither the convenience and emouments OF con>
tractors nor the ouJcry OF y"
INTERESTED POLITICIANS ~
ought to be regarded for single moment. A
prison from which fifty escapes OF notorious, prac.
tIsed criminals can be made I'm twelvemonth is
no prison aI all. To have any deterrent effect
upon the crtminally engaged or disposed outside.
1t ought to be Q matter OF absolute certainty
tnat once inside the criminal snoud be intimately
convinced of the fact that there is no escape and
every prison in the country ought to be able to in
scribe on its portals the oft quoted words Of
Beyond this, . prison like Sing Sing should be
made so terrible TO the criminal nobility that they
would prefer ANYTHING .H rather than an .s recomm.
many Of the convicts there is great deal OF ele-
giant leisure tempered solely BY the zenra,llke suit
to buiid with their own hands wall that would
make their escape impossible. The marble exists
there In abundance; the nat OF the Legislature is
all that 1e required.
Thls parenthetlcal digression win not be lost IL
it keeps the public mind alive to this very moment,
the outset was stopped last April, and among the
DISTINGUISHED DRIBLETs
rtes of the winged god, all belonging to the higher
nights OF crime. engaged chiefly in large opera
Jim Brady, jimmy Hope, Joe Howard, Ned Lyons.
Sophia Lyons, Johnny Keefe alias "the Greek"
Wsm s Rssd nag Wson
under the ALIAS of Harry Smith) and nlIy Miller.
The danger to society OF these escapes is best
evidenced from the fact that Of all these birds OF
prev not one has Deen recaptured, except the
abOve-named William Miller.
1t is now our business to inform the readers Of
the HERALD now the leakage was stopped. and we
think the narrative will be found highly INSTRUCT
i've as showing the agencies at work IN these es-
capes, the astuteness Of the outside cOnfederateH
and the patient, cautious, hard work on the part
OF the onicers engaged in 1t necessary to secure
As It Was clear tnat the authorities inside Sing
Sing required external help 1t was Afforded TO
them IN the person OF Captain irving wn1 sUoa tns H
tailed account OF the methods BY whlch captain
Irving achieved so c0mplete Q success as tnaI
the thieves too much information. Suf1ce 1t TO
say that he associated with himself two OF the
abest detectives in the i0rce sampson and Farley,
and the ultimate result was the discovery Of the
implement by which the ooors and bars OF Sing
The main point was to procure the cast OF the
key of the chief door OF the prison. Money pro-
cured this from the Keepers. 1t was sent TO New
York, and those whose friends could supply cash
enough found themselves In possession OF what
would let them out OF Sing Sing as readily as the
millionaire lets himself out Of MS mousse on FILL
avenue. But
MECHANICAL SCIENCE
was also brought to bear In favor OF the moneyed
thieves.
We have been put in possession OF an exact
model OF the implement used ior dlspiacing me
bars OF the prison windows. II consists Oh
straight pointed bolt about five inches I'D iengtn
and two inches Ia diameter armed with = hard
ened steel polnt This will bite the granite OF
the window lacings against which II Is placed IT
has swivel head, in which there Is y serlateo
semicircular slot about quarter Of an incn aeep.
TINS is intended to bite the bar to which IL IL
applied. .,a .. ourr,ehed u,,,n :.
female screw Before operations are commenced
the male Is placed 10 posltion ns powerful
to hear upon the side of the swivel and ratchet,
and the SCI ew, working ~outwards ~ with a force OF
as V reaav as one removes slipper. The action Of
'"0 "S" PERFECTLY NosELEss,
ana fhe convict sOOn sees himself enabled, by the