, 1875-01-10
4 Voluntary Ride in That Homely
Vehicle.
aoW th. English Institution Is Arranged
Attempted Escapes.
SummonIng the Prisoners from the
BuII-Pen to the Van.
The 1Ian Whose Friends Did Not
Turn Up.
Incidents Of the Ride.

Incidents of the Ride.
Most Of our citizens, especially those who pass
daily about noon along Madison street, are
familiar with the dingy, breakdown-looking,
| four-borse omnibus which does duty as con-
'veyance Of each days quota Of the city's sddi-
| tion Of prisoners to the Bride"ell. The vehicle
! is most commonly known and recognized as the
''Black Maria," and is chiefly distinguishsb1e
from other carriages Of its order by its outward
shabby air, want Of gaudy parti-colored
scenic effects upon its sides, and by
| the utter absence OF glass windows, where
| by all knowledge of its interior and its
| occupants is eHoctual1y shut of from outside
gaze and communication. Such, in brief. ap-
pears to the uninitiatel the Black Maria OF
| Chicago.
To it passengers, Of course,
THE VIEW FRo.r TIE IsNDE
| is equally limited aud uncomnunicatiye. Any
glimpse Of the outward world is only attainable
through small upper portion Of the door at the
rear, which is protected with wire netting, ont
without the canvas curtains which cover the
sides. These, where windows ordinarily axe, are
composed Of strong wire netting. The internal
arrangements are as usual in ordinar; buses.
This Black Maria Is
IN STRONG coNrRAEr
with vehicles for similar purposes IN England
from which it derives it's name and nothing else
and other European countries- Here the pre-
vailing and most salient fault would seem to be
insecurity, OF which, as will shortly appear, ad
vantage has been taken to attempt escape while
in trausitu- European prison-vans, as they are
more enphoniously termed. are constructed
much after the fashion Of Casa i Martins we'll
known pastry wagons, only, OF course, larger in
every way, and OF far stronger materials. The
aides therein devoted to the cazriage OF tempting
but dyspepsia-engendering condiments, arc, ia
the prison-vao, divided into compartmentsorc cells,
each barely large enough for singie prisoner,
the doors Of which, opening upon the middle pas
| sage, can be scarcely locked Each cell has
small grated upper hole opening into the centre
aisle for ventilation and Light to it's occupant.
The front ia entirely closed, and the exit at the
rear is provided with door Of iron-g1ating,
which, when prisoners are being conveyed. ls
boted. In its travels the van is guarded BY three
picked officers, beside the driver,-all in uni
form,-two OF whom cit on top, and the
third, usually = Police Sergeant OF intelii-
gence and pluck, occupies the inside
passage, and has charge Of the keys AL ara
well armed. The vehicle is painted black, Hence
the adjective in the nane,-but BY what caprice
would be- difficult to determine.
It would naturally be supposed that, with all
these extensive precautions,
ATTEMPTS Oh PRISONERS TO ESCAPE
from the van, OF Of outsiders to release them,
would appear to be 80 completely foolhardy as
to be mover entertained. Nevertheless such
| have been made. Memorable is the one
which occurred some eight years ago
in Manchester, England. The prison-van,
containing eomo notorious Fenian prisoners who
hn1 hoor nd m fo1t fn
the Bridewe1l in the outskirts Of that city. With
consummnte military skill an attack was made
upon it ut point of the road overarched by &
railway yiaduct- Suddenly, and after little ado,
the ran was stopped at the point OF the pistol BY
the assai1ants confederates Of the priconers, aud
the outside guard WAS overpowered. This accom-
plished. attention was directed to the Sergeant
inside who had the keys. That officer, braveIy
refusing to give them up, WAS shot dead, the keys
obtained from his body, and tho desired prison.
ers released. subsequently some OF the prison
ere were recsptured, the assailants caught. and
three of them expiated upon the scaRold,-the
death Of the Sergeant who net it ut iuty's call.
To return to Chicago's Black Maria: Some
three years ago it vas proceeding to the Bride
wcll with its complement of prisoners, one Of
ficer being, rs usual, inside, rs escort, and the
driver outside. All went we'll until the open
prairie was reached, when two desparadoes COM
menced
ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE
BY breaking up the floor OF the conTeyance-
Percelyins their designs, the guard called upon
them to desist, but, diszeg artdng his commands,
they continued their operations The officer
drew his revolver, but was dsterred from using
it by the crowded state Of ithe omnibus, "a fact
Of which the outlaws took advantage By coolly
pursuing their intentions. Seeing this, the con-
ductor got out and stopped the horses. Mean
while tho breach in the floor WAS widening fass.
sraphed to the BridewclI, and the officers there,
being forewnrned, are On the lookout for It
when it attalns open ground. II 2ny trouble oc-
curs the Black Maria is provided with signal.
On the occasion in question this was displayed,
and help was at once dispatched, which arrived
lust Is the prisoners crawIed through tho hsie
they had made. Being duly handcuted. they
we're eventually landed safely within the walls Of
the prison.
With the view Of obtaining an altogether
NoS-CoMPULsonY EIDE
to tho Bridevell in the Black Maria, the writer
one day last week sought the Madison Street
Police Station. vending his way to the SAW
busted, plaster-cracked upper room Of that
building, which is devoted to the daily admins,
trasiops Of the blind police goddess, he found
the room tenanted only By the officers Of tho
Court. Justice scully, his morning DIS
gooa naturally in front Of bus bar-ot 20:
making out the commitments The only trace
OF the late witnesses Of tho mornings work was
q faint odor, whch was neither Jockey Club nor
ANYTHING else usually dispensed in bottles over
fashionable druggists handicapped counter.
In few moments Black Maria drore up, lta ar
rival being the signal for the gathering OF 4
crowd Of nondescripts upon the pavement IN
front Of the station. Soon the genial robust
s.Conductor" OF the machine presented himself
in the Court-Room, to whom an introduction
without tue Intervention Of police aid, waa se-
cured. aud his consent obtained for the eontem-
plated excursion.
After another short delay, the necessary docu-
ments for the transfer to him Of the prisoners
we're duly prepared and handed over.
PROCEEDING TO THE ''DU1L-rEN,"
portion Of the room parttioned OH On the
right, he opened the door, and, looking At his
papers, began calling the names Of the onfortu-
mates whose iagrancies entitled them to quarters
in the BzideHell. Y
'sPAuL NTcHfoRK,~
bawled the Conductor, that being his free trana-