The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-26
A Thrilling Jail Delivery at
Newcastle, Del
Masked Villains Liberaie a Murderer
and Five Burglars.
! w O M A Ms LOT
The Warden Gagged, Bound and Thrown
Into the Cellar.

Desperate Character OF the
Criminals Set Free.
NEWCASTLE. Del. Feb. rs. 1874
The daring attempt made by gang or masked
men to rob the National BANK Of Delaware. located
ut Wilmington, occurred at q date so recent mo
vember Z, 1879 that upon the mention OF the cir
oumstance the reader will very easily recall the
very exciting and dramatic details. The shrewd
and cunning way In which tho robbers set about
performing their work. the organization and system
with which the masked villains entered the area
OF the cashiers house, found their way to his
family circle, handcuHed him and demanded
the Keys Of the vaults-each detail was elas-
Orately worked up at the time in all
the leading public prints, so that the briefpst
recapitulatioo is all that need be made now. At
the time the masked robbers entered the room
there were more parties present than they had
anticipated, end the game they were attempting to
play became consequently all the more perpexing.
CONSERVATION followed the appearance of the men
In their DISCUSSES. Several OF the women tainted
while one-Miss K ates-wth rare presence OF mind,
fefgned stupOr ana secreted herself under table.
The cries OF the women, their wild efforts escape.
the terror OF the cashier ana his manly endeavors
to free himself divided the attention Of the robbers
from one to the other, and, 1T an unexpected
moment, Miss Hates rushed from under the table,
ran up stairs rapidly. pursued by one OF the men,
passed at full speed along the narrow corridor,
gained the door, swung 1t widely back Just as the
rude hand Of her pursuer was fastening its grasp
upon her shoulders, dashed out into the street,
gave the alarm, secured the attention Of the police
and then saved the bank from being plundered.
yUoon tho p,ltco
fed, and 1t not until the afternoon of the next
day that their arrest was effected.
ARREST, TRIAL AND SENTENCE.
The detectives succeeded. however, in securing
all the five who had entered the CASHIERS house,
whose names were as follows Francis II, Carter,
alias Frank Mcdonnell. alias "Big Frank" OF Phil
adelpbia James J. Watson alias James Thomas,
ALIAS Thomas Hope. also Of Philadelphia; James
Howard, alias James Kingsley, alias Joseph Law
lOr, of Springfield Mass, and James Brady. alias
Ed. II. Hurlburt, Of New Orleans. The men men,
toned above were all desperate characters whose
exploits will appear more fully in the sequel
The TRIAL was held on the 10th of November and on
the third day OF December they were convicted.
Their sentence was both imprisonment for ten
years and sound thrashing al the whipping post.
The latter part OF the verdict executed at the
day appointed each receiving forty lashes and
sentence was executed the prisoners were taken
to the jail in this little village and up to last night
had remained there. During their confinement
they all conducted themselves very commercially,
and. instead Of living upon the regular prison fare
they were furnished with the best and most whole.
some food, which they paid for themselves
FEARS OF THR NRwCAsTLEITEs.
Grave suspicious were entertained by tho re-
spectacle citizens Of the community, however, that
the little County Jail here would not long contain
them. The differences which led TO this conviction
were-nrst, the fact that those within the walls
were only few OF desperate gang living with
OUT second, the prison itself was not the struc-
ture that It should be- and third Of the rob-
bers In the cells were desperate and well
known jail breakers. In q little while, how
ever the sensation OF the attempted burglary,
the long trial and the whipping post gradually
wore away the affair ceased to become common
conversation while the submissive and gentle con-
duct Of the prisoners gradually destroyed the
picon and led the people to feel that the jail was
strong and the cuiprits banned. Last night how
ever, the burglars ned The tables were turned
the Law broken and the robbers to-day, wherever
they may be. are once more entirely free. The
method with which those outside worked for the
delivery OF those within was very daring and stra-
tegic, the full particulars beng as folloxs:-
THE VACCINATIONS OF A WOMAN.
As usual there is woman In the case. Une
county constable describes her as fair and mys-
ferrous character, VINO one bright morning ap-
peared here in Newcastle, She inquired for FAM
lily named Jefferson, the members of which are
very rich and respectable After she had been
informed where the Jefferson family resided the
authorities noticed that she did not 60 directly in
the way pointed out, but strolled indiferentiy
through the town. She left Newcastle and re.
turned again. This time she inquired for the resi-.
dence Of another weli-6nOwn family named Gray.
AS before the woman did not 60 to the quarter OF
the town in which the Grays resided. To shorten
long story this iair and mysterious woman event.
ua,ly found rendezvous in little cabin Inhabited
by negroes. Why this act npon the part of
the woman created no positive suspicion at the
time do not know, but suffice it to say that In a
little while after she went to the cabin negress
came to the jail ana asked permission to get in
She entered. She saw. OF course, the prisoners
named above, but did she or did she not secrete a
letter nom the mysterious woman to them. telling
them to be OF good heart and not despond. because
companions in crime and friends with money were
steadily working for their freedom and release
The question involves doubt and the startling
developments OF last night remove it in O great
degree. The mysterious woman was not per.
manent resident Of the negro cabin, but travelled
between Philadelphia and Newcastle frequently
1t requires no vivid Imagination to suggest IL the
story OF the county constable Ia true what the con-
tents Of those letters may have been. They must
have consisted OF warm assurances of help, OF
sincere wishes, to be Of stout courage,
ANOTHER CHARACTER IN TIKI PLOT.
Now comes the second mysterious character
This time the character is man. He is also
criminal. He has been confined in this Newcastle
jail for some time. His name 10 J. W. Frazier
He killed his brother-in-law, John W. Eliason, at
Middietown, several years ago, and was in-
prisoned for life. Once he made an effort to
escape, but failed After this he was more closely
kept In his CELL and under the confinement his
health waned. In consideration of this the
authorities allowed him an hours freedom every
day. For that one hour Frazier was free to walk
the corridor An hour Of one day Is very little, but
an hour for many days consecutiveiy CON-
prehends great deal OF time. No one
suspected then, and no one knows now