Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-24

other parts Of the cell disclosed the fact that two
other attempts had been made by him to pierce IT,
One was jast beneath the window, where he had
dug into the mortar around one BRICK, but ne haa
abandoned it. The other was the brck work
around the veutator of the door, but this was
also abandoned, as it difficult to work. he be-
ing obliged to stand upon the top OF his char-bach
and balance himself.
By removing six or eight bricks, and saving off
one end of single bar, hole would be made
sufficiently large to admit the passage of his body,
and getting outside the cell he was to lower him
self from the iron gallery to the rotunda floor, by
means of cords taken out of the window. lie
was to leave the cell at midnight, when the watch
was being changed, take advantage OF the unlock
ing as he supposed he could, fell all who opposed
him, clear the jail building and scale the outside
wall. Another way to reach the ladder out
side the building, and in that way reach the ROOF
of the jail, from which position it would be an
easy matter to reach the ground by means oil the
water spout and then scale the wall and gam his
liberty; but, Pomeroy, shrewd and cunning as nc
is reckoued without his host. His belief was that
on the retirement of the night officer at IL CLOCK
there no one on guard, when Is not the cast
as when the officer duty the first part OF the
night retircs he is relieved by another. VINO stay
on duty TIL morning. His idea was that he would
have everything done beforehand and when the
officer retired and was asleep, he would have
four or five hours in which TO saw on the outer
window bar and make his escape pom search
inc Pomeroy after the break was discovered,
besides the tools were found two letters, one
written to his mother and the other to his
brother These letters were quite lengthy,
and described i'll full his plan Of escape, gong so
far into details as to give diagrams OF the secuon
of the prison in which he confined, the ro-
tunda, windows and everything which was to be
cut away for his escape. In these letters he pegs
them for Gods sake, to bring him file, and dcs-
crlbes the kind of one. "as told about before, IN
dicatpg that he had talked or written about 1t pre-
viously. lie wanted them to put the file INTO a
banana as fruit could be passed to prisoner With
out examination He even goes so far as to state
that he would have plenty to eat ater escaping;
tina, he should 60 to Canada and become cltzen
of that country; that he should travel by night
and that such a thing would be much better than
wasting away his life in prison. even II his sen
tence should be committed, as he had no nope II
would be after the vote IN the Executive toulcil
He adlured his mott er and brother not to divulge
the plans he had made, even to each othcr, put
begs and implores them to get the files and bring
them to the jail the next time they come, which
was to have been on Tuesday. He also wanted
his brother to be outside the wall, when he got
out with rope to facilitate his escape. With his
love for writing and drawing diagrams, Pome-
roy attempted TO describe and illustrate his
method of escape aud flight to some of his fam
y, and imagined that there was nothing IN his
way but possibly the attempt of scared jaors
to defend their lives and try to stop him.
Pomeroy, in speaking of the matter, and also IN
his letters, makes the statement that II he caught
an officer mapping he would ''knock him over, and
killed whoever opposed him" But had he sue
ceeded in reaching the rotunda he would have
met, not only one officer but second, who would
have been aroused from a 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 vir'
tually prisoners in the hands of the turnkey, as I
he was. When asked by the turnkey what he did
it for he said, 81 amt going to be shut up here
all my life l was going to make trial for lib |
erty.' That he had boldly and shrcwdly laid |
plans for his escape must be admitted, but that he
could not possibly have got free iscertan to those
who know how the Jail Is built. The result of
final act would have been either his death or that
of an officer. In one or two matters be had mis- |
calculated and the fatal mistake was in not know
ing about the change of night watches inside the
jail. In reply to question, Pomeroy said he had
been at work on the break since Tuesday, the 18th
inst, and he expected to make his escape night
before last
After the discovery of the break, Pomeroy was
searched and placed in one of the strong cells IN
the lower tier of the north wing, where he will re-
main for the present. These cells are built OF
large granite blocks. which no one could cut
through in year. Vixen his scheme was known
he appeared defiant, but settled into sullen-
ness and indifference and said but little. His
mother called at the Jail on Tuesday. but was not
allowed to see hun, nor has she sncebeen granted
an interview.