The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-07-30
THE BOY FlEND.
His Attempt to Escape Srom Jall..R Hi
!, False Aut0bl0gEophy.

Jesse Pomeroy, the boy ffend, comes
perate attempt to escape from the Charles
street Jail Of Boston. The bold attempt
was frustrated by the officers Tuesday
morning the Goth, and the prisoner
stopped in his work: Within b. week of
what he looked forward to as the hour of
his deliverance. The detail of his plan
was to cut out the bricks Of the window
looking upon the corridor, sufficiently to
admit the passage Of his body, and, get:
ting outside the cell WALL tO lower him,
self from the iron gallery to the rotunda
floor by means Of cords taken out of the
window. He was to leave the cell Ut mid.
night when the watch was being changed,
take advantage of the unlocking, as he
supposed he could fell all who opposed
him, clear the jail building, and scale the
outside wall. With his love for writing
and drawing diagrams, Pomcroy attempt.
ed to describe and illustrate his method
Of escape and fight to some of his
family, and imagined that there was moth.
ing in his way, but possibly the attempt
of scared jailers to defend their lives and
try to stop them. The way his work in
getting out the mortar has been con.
Quoted shows a great deal Of cunning,
and he had succeeded in loosen
ing several Of the bricks, while
apparently engaged in study at his
table near the window. He had large
atlas, which aided him to cover up his
work, and in less than week he would
have been able to have thrown down
enough of the wall to get out of his cell,
providing he could file into an iron bar.
Some other filing would have been neces-
lsary, and he had, as he supposed, ar
ranged for the tools to do it with. His
method Of loosening the brick was by
several pieces Of strong wire which were
in the outer rim Of his wash. ,sin. He
had somehow worked this wire. out, and
had broken it in pieces of various lengths,
with which he dug out the mortar, thus
leaving the bricks free. As stated, there
were three or four bricks, besides those
entirely out, which were nearly so, the
plaster being dug out to the ends. By
bending the wire little, he could werk
on the back side of the bricks, and thus
loosen them. His other Instruments were
the cover Of a sardine box, which gave
him sharp edge. and his iron spoon,
which was much worn, and was also
twisted and bent. One of the
rounds to his chair. very strong, had been
wrenched off, and this had been used as
lever to pry the bricks. Its strength, as
we'll as Pomeroy'*, is shown by the fact
that one of the bricks was broken in two
pieces in the middle. The mortar and
refuse were carefully concealed in paper,
which was placed under his mattress.
There was, however, a considerable guam
|tity, say pint, on the floor of his cell
when the discovery was made. That he
had boldly and shrewdly laid plans for
his escape must be admitte but that he
could not possibly have got free is GER
tain to those who know how the Jail is
built. The result of the final act would
have been either his death or that of an
officer. In one or two matters he had
miscalcu'ated, and the fatal mistake was
in not knowing about the change of night
watches inside the jail. He had
counted upon meeting but one officer,
knocking him over and releasing him.
self. Had he succeeded in reaching the
rotunda he would have met not only one
officer, but a second, who would have
been aroused from nap in an open ada
cent room. Had he been able to have
disposed of these, he would have found
that they had no means Of getting out.
themselves, and were virtually prisoners
in the hands Of the turnkey as he Was.
The officers are very rcticent about the
matter, feeling, doubtless, that they can
we'll take care of their prisoners, and that
this merely shows that the boy is more
dangerous than at first believed, and re-
quiring little closer watching. In
speaking of the affair, Pomeroy coolly
says he would have laid anyone out who
should have tried to prevent his escape.
After the discovery, Pomeroy was search.
ed and placed in one of the strongest
cells in the lower tier of the north wing,
where he will remain for the present.
These cells are built of large granite
blocks, which no one could cut through
in year. When his scheme was known,
ne appeared defiant, and soon settled
into sullenness and indifference, and said
but little. In answer to a question,
Pomeroy said he had been at work at the
break since the 18th inst, and he ex
pected to make his escape last night.
The autobiography, recently published,
is considered by the Jail officers mass Of
falsehoods. In his first confessions Of
killing the Curran girl. he went so far as
to describe minutely the manner the deed
done, and the way the body of the child
lay after death, which no one else could
possibly have done not present at the
time.
Swimming Match for the Cham
pt0nshiP of the World.
Tho rno <nE H.