The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-08
Arrest of William Hawley, One Of the
Locomotive StealerS.
A LEAF IN A DETECTIVES DIARY
Experiences of Hawley After
Leaving the Engine.
A REMARKABLE CASE.


conWcts rom sing Sing on the 14th OF last May is
again brought into prominence by the capture OF
the first OF the NUMBER, effected early yesterday
morning. In the annals OF escapes rom penal
institutions OF this State none have partaken
more OF the sensational, nor nave any excited q
more widespread interest than this. Individual
convIcfs nave at times resorted to plans and
artinces liz their desperate attempts to regain the
pr ecious boon OF hoerty well calculated 10 pro-
duce establishment by the fertility OF genius
displayed; astute keepers have been cleverly
hoodwinked; barriers considered insurmounta.
BILE have yielded to well laid schemes, aided by
caution and perseverance; guards have been
overpowered; prison doors have been unlocked;
in TACT, all the appliances OF science and art have
been successfully calico in play, put never before
was a locomotive booily stolen and made to sub
serve 10 such ENDS.
Although the circumstances OF the occurrence
are comparatively iresh in the public mind
brief review may not prove unInterestinR.
At shout ten O'Clock on the morning OF the 14th
OF May a freight train on the Hudson River Rail-
road, comprising large number OF cars all
| heavily laden, proceeding rom above Sing
Sing to New York, and adjoining the track at an
/ elevation OF about thirty feet Ii a stone quarry
| upon which number OF convicts from
the Sing Sing Prison were at work,
! the usual number OF keepers and sentries being
present. Ordinarily trains passing by this
! quarry 60 at a rate of speed tnat would cause the
death OF any person bold enough to attempt to
board them by jumping from the ledge, but, owing
to the large frieghts before mentioned, the train
on this particular occasion passed the quarry
more slowly than usual. Taking advantage OF
this fact three OF the convIcts at work
on the ledge made a sudden break and
jumped on the top OF the forward
car. Others Of the convicts seeing the situation
followed suit, and stampede ensued. Only nve
OF the number, however, boarded the train. These
at once overpowered the engineer and fremen.
detached the locomotive from its train OF cars,
and, pulling the throttle valve wide open, Jew
down the road at lightning speed all having en-
tirely escaped the bullets fred at them by the
prison sentres
The locomotive, however, proved an elephant in
their hands; none knew how to manage II; and
before they had gone five miles 1t came to astand-
still one OF the cylinders having bursted-a most
fortunate occurrence for the men, IL alterward
transpired, as the Railroad Superin tendenr In
New YORK, hearing OF the affair, had ordered the
switch turned al one OF the stations that the
locomotive with It's occupants might be thrown
into the river.
Aier the failure OF the iron horse the conv1cts
took to the woods ana from that time to the
present have remained at liberty.
Tne man captured yesterday morning Is william
Hawley, alias Shang Hamilton, alias SAang Morris,
VINO at the time OF his escape was doing a niue
years. sentence for baamy. The capture was
ago Inspector speIgnt obtained I'M formation
tnat led him to suspect that Hawley
was in tie city. Further INVESTIGATION salis led
aoouts OF the convict could not be ascertalned
Detectives Ferris and Kennedy, OF the Central
/ ONCE were fntTusted with the case, and az once
commenced the campaign. BY tracing back
the history OF Hawley they found tnat just
tnaa ofuAu
S'' had heeR on terms r'' Of the Closest in
tlmacy and friendship with young
woman residing IN the lower part OF the city, and
IL was determined to put atch upon her move
ments. For three days she was "shadowed"
result. On the fourth day The detectives noticed
that her movements appeared exceedingly
erratic. she went to dnerent parts of the
city, apparently Tor no purpose, and acted
In a very strange ana suspicious manner. 1t
was evident mat sue was aware OF oe ng lol owed
ana was trying TO tntoF the officers on tue track.
New DISCUSSES and the utmost caution had now
to be adopted. In few days the detectives To-
Gated her at No. ~ Jane street, where
it was subsequently ascertainea Hawey's
mother resided. A perpetual watch was then
placed npoa the house, in the hope Of detecting
Communications passing De5H cen Hawley (WhOm
the detectives supposed to De residing else ~here)
and the inmates OF the house, but n person was
seen TO enter the premises excepting the ashman
and the mIlkman. Tue former, It was afterward
learned was the conveyer Of ali communications
II was nouced that the blinds OF one OF the front
rooms were always kept closed and thus fact led
officers TO believe that lt occupied by
HAwley himself 1t was also noticed that when
ever the hail ooor was opened a peculiar sound,
II made by gong, could be 1aIntly heard.
FroE this II was reasoned that an alarm was
sounded within every time The door opened. II
this was the case, AMI Hswley was inside,
the detectives knew some stratagem was neces-
sary IN oroer to get In without giving the alarm.
YESTERDAY morning, shortly before seven O'Clock,
the officers were ready Tor action. The milkman
came along at MS usual hour, opened the nall door
heard. Waiting about three minutes, and
watching their opportunity when the door
was aIar the detectives sprang from thelr hiding.
pace IN an adjoining doorway ana entered, aud
Ferris taking tue front ot the house Tor his de-
partInent and Donney the back, bolh hurried up
Ine nrst room visited by Ferris was the sus-
pected one on the second moor, and mere sure
enough; was the sought Tor convict Hall re-
Ginning on the sofa HawleJ sat, with nearly all his
clothing on. Inc moment tine door opened
confronted by Ferris In an instant he realzed
the situation. 1t seemed 10 paralyze MIN. be
stood perfectly still Tor moment, then threw up
his arms in despair, exclaiming,
'MY GoDi Ny GoDl TWENTY YEARS MoREp
and sank into = char: His mother an aged lady,
apparently In i'll nealtn, hasened to Tue room,
ana on learning Of her sons arrest fen upon his
neck, weeping bitterly:
house. wire ran IRON the front hall door TO
Hawley's room. so arranged that when the door
caused a heavy hammer to fail on a gong placed
MS bed. By this means Hawley was in
stanty notlned every time person entered the
house.
Inc prisoner was then taken to the Central
once, WueFe ne was lOckeu up. A HERALD re-
porter called upon MIN 10 his cell yesterday after
noon, ana nad long conversation with MIN. At
first he declined TO TAX, but aterward he recon-
sidered and related his experience since his
escape.
Ihe appearance and demeanor OF Hawley were
far from those OF the ordinary convict Tall aud
well prOportioned, with sandy hair and whiskers,
he appeared 20 be a man OF much intelligence and
not bad at heart. While telling his story he FREE
quently broke down rs tine thought
OF the terrible Iato In store for him
Optruded ITSELF ''They will give me
twenty years more for grand larceny for assisting
ia stealing the engine, he moaned, ana he wrung
ms hands ia despair. Occasionally ne reerred TO
his mother, and always with patnos and tender
ness quite touching "lf my poor mother dies,v
he would eXclaim, 81 don't care what becomes Of
me and, on, rear the shock will xiii her.u
Immediately on boarding the locomotive the
conVcts forced the engineer and fireman to
allgnt. One OF the men then pulled some levers
and another drew out the coupling pin ana de.
tached the balance OF the train. III assure
YOU" said Hawley, I'VE did not use
any violence toward either the con-
ductor or fireman. The story that we
- -. A..u ILL.