The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-05-13
RECKLESS RUDIFER.

4
INDIASA's JACK SHEPHERD on IT AGAIN
HIS LAST AND MOST DESPERATE ATTEMPT To
ESCAPE FROM THE SOUTHERN PENITKN-
IIARY-HIs ASSOCIATES IN CRIME ASSISTS.
Ihe Courier-Journal gives the full partie-
ulars OF the last attempted escape OF the
daring and desperate Rudifer from the
Southern prison: Bill Rudifer, the noted
convict in the state prison south, at Jeffer-
sonville, comes to the front again this MORN
ing. The readers of the Courier Journal
are already familiar with the three des-
perate attempts 10 escape from the peniteu-
tiary made by this modern Jack Shepherd.
ana the one we now relate Is in every re-
spect equally bold and daring with the
others. Since the last escape of Rudifer he
mas been closely watched and confined in
the last cell in the second range OF the pris-
on. From the situation of the cell il WIS
not thought by anyone that be could
ever escape, and it seemed like
madness for him to ever make the attempt
Guards heavily armed passed his cell door
every half hour, both day and night. and.
besides, heavy ball and chain were riveted
to his ankles. Rudifer, as the sequel goes to
snow, bided his time- which came yesterday
morning. About hslf-past one O'Clock in
the morning, as Mr.. Lewiston Schell a guard
at the prison, had just passed by thecell door
OF convict named Ryan. from Cincinnati.
Ryan sprang out of the cell. and, throwing
MS arms around ScheilS neck and planting
his knee in his back, attempted to throw him
down. Schell, with all the strength that he
could summon. tried to re tlease him self from
GEe embrace of Ryan and
a DESPERATE STRUGGLE EEsURD.
IL was but moment, however, TOR he was
suddenly confronted by the tall form Of Ru-
differ, NhO emerged from his cell only few
feet distant, being the cell adjoining Ryan's.
Before Sche1 could have counted five he
WAS picked up by the two men and carried
into an adjoining cell, oceu pied by convict
named Clark. 1t seems that Clark's cell
had also been opened bv some mysterious
agency, and thus three desperate men were
loose in the wing and masters OF the situA-
ton. Schell was diS2rmed aud Clark stood
guard over him. The first act of Rudifer
was to release his ''pard and pal" Charles
Dudley. of Ierre Haute, who is serving out
sentence in the prison. dudley and RYAN
marched up and down the wing of the
prison In front of the main entrance to the
Office and threat tened 20 shoot down any
man who dared give the alarm. In the
meantime Rudiier assembled TO the top OF the
cel-house, and thence, with the aid of rope
made by tying blankets together got no on
the rafters and commenced TO cut a hUle i'm
the roof of the main building with a long,
sharp chisel and hammer He worked hard
and fast for an hour, and finally was re-
warded by cutting q hole through the
to admit the form OF man. He then shouted
TO his comrades to come on, and bring the
rope, which was intended to be used ia de-
scending from the roof of the building TO the
ground ,,I In ,a,s the nss meantime. how
in cutting the roof mad attracted
the attention Of the outside guards at the
prison, and they gave the general alarm.
Several of the guards, with DIR. Gilpin.
rushed into the wing where the loose
c1nvicts were. and found them all
ali five locked in. 1t seems that
RUDIFER HEARD THE ALARM
as soon as given, which was Immediately
after he called for the rope. He descended
rapidly from his place on the raiters to the
second range aud in formed his pals that it.
was all up tor this time, as be knew the
guards we're all heavily armed and that they
would be shot down before they could get
outside oil the prison walls, and they all
went to the cell, as narrated. When the
guards came in they went to the cell, and,
after first setting Schel a. liberty, again
locked the four conyicts up in their cells.
| How the convicts got out of their cells is
easily told. 1t appears that the lock on the
| cell door Of Ryan was broken and could not
| be locked, and was only temporarily secured.
Ryan, watching his chance, managed to get
the door open, and going To the cell-door OF
| aud monkey wrench. It slid not take the
| two men long to release the other two with
the same means. IL is supposed that the
tools used by Ryan and Rudifer were
slipped TO them by some of the other con-
victs. They had shocking looking gag
prepared for Schell, to use If it was neces-
| sary, but when Clark told him that he would
kill him If he attempted to cry out, Schell
| concluded that discretion was the better
paIt of valor, and kept his mouth closely
| shut. The plan of the escape was not only
| desperate, but reckless to a high degree.
Had the ec1nvicts succeeded in getting out of
the wing into the yard, they would have had
to run the gauntlet Of three guards, and
wOulr most likely have been killed in at
| tempting to scale the walls. The probabili-
ties are that the foiled escapers will be Sc
verely punished by the prison officials.
|
A crowd of infuriated uptown boys met
the other night to secretly organize a party
to go to the Black Hills, kill the Indians and
seize their fabulous gold mines. The chair
mau suggested in a practical way that, as at
least one of the party would undoubtedly ba
killed by the Indians on the way, IL would
\ he well TO carry nice ccfhn. covered with
blue velvet, and with silver handles and
screws, with the rest OF the luggage. This
! threw colduess over toe meeting. IL didn't
seem TO take very well, and, after talking
the matter over very seriously, ore after
another finally decided that il was not ex-
pedient to 20 to the Black Hills. The boys
then organized debating sOcit ty, and it wRs
resolved TO discuss at tho first meeting the
question "tbat il Is advisable 10 exterminate
the Indians In our country."-Troy Times.
An Ohio girl got up the other morning to
ho 40 hor fooo In, ba l;o,;I do-.-