The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-04
PRICE TWO CENTS
TWO IMPUDENT C0NVICTS.
NERVED 70 A DEsPERATE FEAT M
A GUARDS RUM BOTTLE,


"'erpowerinG the Guard. Taking nj. Fire.
arms, and Escaping to Long Isiana-R..-
bing gWomcn-Protectedb by Citiscn..
Yesterday afternoon about two o.c,oo,,
guard hacGowan was patrolInR tho souther.
shore OF Blackwell's Island, In a guard bo.s
rowed by two prisoners, Andrew white ana
John Boyd The boat was opposite the peniten-
tlary and not far from the middle Of the stream
when the prisoners choosing a nom ent whe~
MacGowan was not watching them, th rev thenn-
selves upon him and seized his fre- -arms-a car
bine and revolver. With these In their hands
they were his master. They headed the boa
toward Long Island, threw MacGowan ovev-
board, kept him at safe distance from them by
threatening show Of the firearms, and rowod
isstlly away from him. They wont up stream
some distance and landed on the Ravenswood
sn9re anu immediately started for the interior.
ana MacGowan, when he crawled up the bank a
lew moments later after long swim, was sur
handled him very roughly, aud SO preysnted
MN MN from pursuing the prisoners. Keepers from
Island City Joined the search, but neither OF ths
fugltives was arrested
mitte1 on Feb. Is for one wear Tor ass s,,,it sna
battery. Boyd Is aged twenty-five, and was SON
fenced for six months on April ~ for petlt lar
ceny. They were, neither Of them, considered
desperate or dangerous men, and had. therefore.
been detailed TO work in the guard boat. After
ward toward Dutch Kills, where they separated.
and one OF them. sinooth-faced and boyish IN
the house OF Mrs. James. She was 6nsily worS-
nar ny @ snu ne, going close 70 her, presented the
exchange for bis convict garb. She gave him \
pair OF her husbands blue ovsrails, which he
orew g on over bis ttowsers, and then went away.
In the same block. and telling her that he was an
escaped n s1nySt begged for Goa, % asss. hi
no coat for him, whereupon he struck the butt
OF bis csrbine on the floor and told her emphat-
The disturbance in the house attracted Mr. Kin-
ney who was working In the garden close By.
for not getting the coat, and said that he bad one
which would Just At the fugitive. He stepped
into mt, saother room, and momont later returned
win pistol In his hand, which he pointed a
the Visitors head, saying, Now, damn you, I
am armed as well as you, and / want you %
guard BY Mr.. Kinney's friendly manner, and had
allowed his caroline to swing loosely by his sidc-
% ne saw that he was at disadvantage, ana
Thence his course was to the place whers the
Long Island City. From one Of the ISborers
there he is said to have obtained a coat In OK
change for the carblne no carried, but the poles
were not able to trace tho weapon, and thS
workmen refused TO give any Informs atom
Omcer Ward was In close pursuit Of the prison
been twice thrown OF the track by persons who
had seen and spoken with the convict. Both
prisoners are supposed to have hidden them-
selves in the woods near Flushing.
Mr.. James ana Mr.. Kinney say that the fuef-
tive who demanded assistance from them was
very drunk, aud the testimony Of those who saw
him pass along the road with the carbins In his
hand shows that ae staggered badly, and pro-
ceeded no faster than ho could walk. He mads
no attempt to run.
On the arrival of the keepsrs from the isiand
their nrst suspicion that MacGowan and
the two convicts had been drinking togethcr.
and that the men induced NIcGowan to take
too much. They Informed the Long Island po-
lice OF their suspicious and IL was later reported
to them that MacGowan had been seen Waiting
a saloon with the convicts earlier In the day and
obtaining liquor. A month ago Mace Gowan Ios4
some prisoners In a similar manner and was dis
charged for his remissness, but was subseQuent-
ly reinstated.