The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-08-12
THE FLIGHT OF PARKER.
HOW the Ex.Treasurer Escaped from
Jail and Left his Friends.

The Columbia correspondent of the
Charleston News and Courier furnishes
the annexed account Of the circum-
stances connected with the escape of Ex-
Treasurer Niles G. Parker from the Jail
il Columbia On Wednesday night, 4th
instant;
COLUMBIA, Thursday, Aug. 5.
The community, as may we'll be imag-
ined, was thoroughly aroused this morn
ing by the announcement that Niles q.
Parker had escaped from Jail In some
mysterious manner between 8 and 10
o'clock last evening, and had gone no
one knew where. Speculation ran high
and a thousand. different versions were
offered, all bearing, upon their face &
probability of truth. Some asserted posi-
lively that Parker walked out of the front
door of the Jail without opposition, and
that the Jail officers knew more about
the matter than they see tit to disclose.
On the other hand, the jailor and others
having Parker in charge assert positively
that Parker made his escape down the
lightning rod Of the Jail. However much
of truth there may be in all the stories
ahoat, the latter version of the escape is
rendered very probable by host OF COL
lateral circumstances.
The Jail is two-story brick building,
on the second story OF which Parkers
cell was situated. Leading to this story
is flight of stairs, at the top of which is
an iron grating cutting off egress and in
gress to the second story rooms. In this
grating is an iron door which leads into
a corridor along which the cells are
ranged. Going in this iron door Parker's
room is the first on the right hand side,
and owing to the leniency with which he
was treated, his door was never locked,
he being allowed the tree use of the cor
ridor, which was secured by the iron graf
ing and door above mentioned. Now, in
the ceiling of this corridor is scuttle
and scuttle-hole, always secured by q
heavy paddock. As Parker's room door
was not locked, and he had free access
to the corridor, he of course had access
tothe scuttle,, as the iron grating run
ming up to the ceiling affords an easy
means of reaching it. Yesterday after
noon Parker had great deal of COM
pany. Mattisony who frequently visited
him, was, with him at times during the
afternoon. De. Neagle was with him
and his wife, son and sons wife were with
him up to s P. M. At s o'clock the
turnkey was given bottle of brandy by
Mrs. Parker and told to deliver it to
Parker, which he did. At 9 o'clock the
turnkey locked his doors and saw Parker
in his room, but as usual did not lock
Parkers door, leaving him free access to
the corridor.
About half-past 10 o'clock P. NJ,
Sheriff Dent was awakened and told that
there was report that Parker was about
to escape; that his horses were saddled
and in waiting. The Sheriff laughed at
the idea, but went Immediately around
to the Jail and found that the scuttle in
the ceiling of the corridor just outside of
Parkers room had been broken open,
and that the lock was gone Parker's
room door was open and Parker was also
gone. On examination, bottle of BRAN
dy and package of cold meat was found
up among the joists, near the scuttle.
Now this scuttle opens on fiat tin shed
the roofof the jail-and running across
this shed from the chimneys are light
ming rods, which run down the south
wall of the building into the yard be-
meath. Supposing that Parker made his
escape in this way, which is more than
probable, the means of accomplishing his
object were just suited for the purpose.
The rods are twisted wire, and the fasten-
ings on the wall project over a foot, al
lowing favorable foothold To render
the decent still more easy, Parker Sc
cured to the rod piece of pavilion gauze
twisted into rope, and evidently used
this to hold on to the rod with, and when
within about fifteen feet from the ground
evidently jumped, as the gauze is still
hanging, At the foot of the rod was
found new revolver, which it is sup
posed fell from his pocket by the fall. As
soon as he reached the ground the coast
was clear, SIS there is only harmless dog
in the yard, and the gate leading to the
street is simply wooden one, and is
neither locked nor guarded by sentinel.
AS soon as all these facts had been dis
covered the Sheriff received notice that a
pair of horses covered over with blankets
had been seen about IL o'clock galloping
rapidly in the direction of the Charlotte
depot. The sheriff with number of his
deputies set off Immediately for the depot,
but the watchman at this place said he
had seen no one, and that no train had
left the depot since s o'clock that eve
ming. The fact that Alex. Mattison had
been seen with Parker four times during
the afternoon created suspicion, and
Sheriff Dent Immediately went to Matti-
sons house and asked his wife if he was
at home. She replied that he had gone
to Wilmington the night before. Know
ing this to be untrue, the Sheriff went off,
collected together a number of his con-
stables, and set to work to scour thetow
After some time spent in the search, a
colored boy was seen riding a horse in
the direction of Parker's stables. The
constables arrested him, and found the
horse to be one of Parker's. A short
time afterwards another of Parker's
horses was discovered, ridden by Matti-
son in the direction of Parker's stables.
Wattison was arrested, together with both
horses, and was taken to the Jail. On his
way thither, Mattison refused to go, and
finally drew knife and de6ed authority.
This necessitated violence, and with some
difficulty he was conveyed bodily to the
faif and locked up in Parker's cell.
At half past o'clock this afternoon
Alex. Mattison and Tony Richardson,
the men who had been arrested with the
horses, were brought up before Trial JUS