Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-02-25
Their Friends Succeed in Eff
fecting Their Escape.
WARDEN RlDINGS BOUND and GAGGED.
He Makes q Marrow Escape
With His Life!
How They Were Released.
EBEN FRAZER GOES WITH THEM.
Details OF the Anair-Creat Excite
mept at New Castle.


Again, this morning, was the staid old town OF
New Castle c0nvused by nn excitement such as is
rarely witnessed within her limits save on occas-
ious OF great public interest and Importance, and
which has only been equalled on the occasion OF
the execution of the sentence OF the law upon the
Bank burglars, in December last. The excitcm9ut,
thi, morning, roadily be ma2 2ined, was
caused by the discovery that these same worthless
had made their escape from the jail,
The escape was discovered about o clock this
morning, and in the following manner
1t is the custom OF Warden Israel Ridlngs, who
is night duty, to release at an early hour in the
morning, a prisoner named Joe Till, who prepares
breakfast aud performs other culinary duties III
Sheriff Armstrong; kitchen. This morning. Joe
did not make his appearance at the accust0m cd |
hour, and after waiting until about 6 O'Clock, Mrs.
Armstrong began ringing the bell which usually |
summoned hlm. THIS call elected no response, |
and hearing the ringing OF the bell several times,
Deputy Sheriff Thomas Gifin left his room and
vent into the Jail, to see what was the matter.
On entering the corridor, the first thing he no.
ticed was the open door OF the cell in which Fran
els Carter, alias big Frank, and James Hope
had been confiped; aud glancing In lie found that
the cell was empty. Hastily RAINING up stairs, 10
the second tier, he found that the cell occupied by
Joseph Lawlor and Edward Hurlburt was also
| empty, although tue door was still locked. lie
then made the further discovery that the cell oc-
cupied by the well known Eben " Frazer, life
| prisoner for the murder of John W. E.iason, in
Middetown, several years ago, was also empty
| with the door standing open.
| Mr.. Gfiin then ran hastily down and informed
Sheriff Armstrong and Werden jacob Herdman
of the state of affairs The three then made
thorough search of the premises, feeling much
surprised at the continued absence of Warden
Ridings AT last they went down into the cellar,
and there found The latter official iu q very painful
and pitiable situation. He handcuffed aud
gagged and was lying on the cold cellar foor, with
his head reclining on chopping block, and his
feet tied TO post When discovered, he was
-ft.-
his release before he sufficiently recovered to make
a statement OF the nights proceedings. From
his account, and reasonable inteiences, it is sup
posed that the escape was made n the following
mann er:
About | o'clock this morning 4 d.zen masked
= men arrived in New Castle coming in tug boat,
1t is supposed) and made their way to the eas
wal OF the jail yaid, which they quietly scaled BY
means of ladders. Arriving in the yard portion
of the gang mounted guard over the door leading
from the " arden apartment, while the other:
went to work on the window OF The cell IN which
Lawlor and Hurlburt were confined. What plan
OF operation they adop ed is not exactly known,
but it is supposed that they used long prise
with which, aided by the two prisoners, they
pried out the the three iron bars which guarded
the window. Both prisoners then lowered them
selves from the window to the ground. the distanc
being only eleven or twelve feet.
By this time, Warden Ridings vas aroused b,
1.-The noise, and started out see what was the mat
lteT lnS lu5tthk bc ptueu tuc uOoi Aead'bl
> Into the yard, he was seizsd by those outside
and before he could sound single note Of alarm
/, was gagged and bound. TIE entire party wit
I. the exception Of some outside guards then wen
p inside the Jail, taking the helpless Warden vii
3 them They first relieved him ii his keys " ii
4 which they unlocked the cell doors, and release
4 "Big Frank" Hope and Eben Frazer. A cor
:, D. sultstion ensued as to what disposition shoul
o. be made OF the Warden. Lswlor. who grea,l
=. dislked him. insisted that he should be killed
and roughly exclaimed stick knife into III
o. 8 -" But Big Frank"
L., whom Warden Ridin,s had extended val lot
favors. Insisted TO the contrary. and finally pr
vailed upon the rest TO spare the Warien's hf
o. He was then taken into the cellar, and SECURE
ID in the manner described above
N The entire party then left the Jail. as quistl
as they came and boarding tn tug steamed raj
idly away. This was about three o'clock,
near that hour parties in New Castle observe
tug steamiog up ths Delaware, Dut at the tin
ry thought it not an unusual occurrence. II
10. thought that the party landed at some point {
Ia, the Jersey shore aud then disbanded in vario'
pc directions.
IL. The escape was certainly planned with Gu
o. ming skill, and executed with consummite pr
d. fciency and precision. The credit of plsnuir
v the affair is generally credited to Frazer. r
rst the past five or six weeks, the Bank burgia
rd have scarcely received visitor, while Fra2
lat received the usual number, some OF whom, Pre-
Sd ably arranged with him the details OF the escaI
st, This however, is mere cosjecture; but certain
Sd is that the escape was we'll planned, we'll exec
", ted, and the whole affair conducted in such
"a manner AS to leave not the slightest suspici
q, that the Jail officials were in any manner CO
ma nsctsd with the escape
AZ The rescurers left behind them no clue whi
a. could lead to their identity aud as they vi
masked, Warden Ridipgs was unable to rec
76, nizs any of them. The Sheriff is actively
re- work, and will offer large reward for the
Sd capture of the prisoners and the detection oil
40 parties who aided them TO escape
Az As we remarked above New Castle is grsa
excited over the evcnt. which is now the CD
,". ~. topic of conv versatiuu iu the town.
,22., REWARD FFERED.
les, Sheriff Armstrong has offered . reward
j0,- 81 900 for the recapture of the burglars, or
I'd arrest of the parties who assisted them to
tai, cane. He has also teegraphed the affair
les, Detective Taggart of Philadelphia, and to
les. cials In other cities.
'ith --------------
"a TRADE NoTEs.--Geo. w. Stone Il
81 Mil Creek will reaume operations in Ma
Is. in their lime works aud brick ysris. B
ga mess prospects are good. The above n
,ass was formerly known a. Stone. Thompson
per Co, but Mr.. Thompson retired ABOUT
per first of the year.
per Hamilton Graham, al Hockes sin' has
commenced shipping crude Kaolin.
ers, terday he shipped five car loads.