The daily gazette., 1875-12-27
FIRST EDITION
v,pERATE PRISONERS.
.rrpmPT TO ESCAPE FROM
N hrfiE CITY HALL CELLS.

.rrRMPT TO ESCAPE FROM
IN THE CITY HALL CELLS.
p-.xeutfve Measures - Resis-
sromp, =, ,thePrisoners-squire IN Brady's
Ssrrow Escape
~ c.,l No. /, of the Police Station,
~ .;nLt were three desperate and
,S..,rmined ~. prisoners - Thomas or
de,eln,"" ded,,ehher" Davis, John O'Brien, alias
Nov York Jack, and Edward Scott,
..hsrvise known rs "Scotty, ell mem
o'nsI QUIZ of the "Old Church Gang" Davis |
Oei' OeeaHNew York Jack" were arrested |
~. committing an unprovoked assault |
~. na battery ON Robt. Hanley, on
sSSn,sday sVu week at Seventh and Church
l...sts The assault was committed
H"s;rlv by Enoch Rash, a we'll known |
.onch' but he was assisted by Davis
irU.S@New York jack" the latter at
,amntinr to cut Hanley with knife.
1scotty" was arrested for commit
,iug an assault and battery on police
nan Mills, on the 18th of June last
u. M attempted to cut Mills, while the
i.tte1 was arresting prisoner. Since
Sst time he made himself scarce, but
vas caught mapping Friday afternoon.
The three prisoners above mention
Al after hearing before Justice
raser, Mayor pro TEN, were held in
me sum of $1,000 bail each, for appear
,nce at Court. Bail not being fur
,shed they were confined in cell No.
and we're to have been committed
Ia New Castle, this morning.
fnIn -
ddted their cell, and slipped them a
mall saw, some plaster of Paris, and
one Of the cell door padlocks. One
end Of the saw was slipped into one of
be paddock sockets and fastened with
the plaster of Paris, thus making a
rood handle for the saw.
With this effective instrument the
prsoners cut hole in their cell floor,
.bout IS inches square, and slipped
down the cellar.
In the police station, at this time
shout 81 o'cl'ck were Chief O'Toole,
Squire Brady, ex-Police Sergeant
0Nelll, and one or two others. Squire
Brady discovered the escape by acci-
dentally glancing into the cell, and
giving the alarm, he rushed down the
cellar, followed by O'Neill. Here
hey found Davis and "New York
Jack" whom they seized and brought
back to the cells, after some sharp
suffling.
And Just here a shooting case was
very narrowly avoided, When the
alarm was first sounded Chief O'Toole
in his excitement laid his pistol, which
he had drawn, down upon a table
standing in corner of the corridor
opposite cell No. 3, while he ran up
stairs after one of the prisoners, who
had slipped up from the cellar. While
in the corridor, "New York Jack
struggled fiercely with Squire Brady,
and Davis, who had been temporarily
released by O'Neill while the latter
went to procure the key of No. 3 cell,
picked up the revolver and pointed il
at Brady. Just as he was cooking the
weapon O'Neill rushed upon him, and
aftera sharp struggle disarmed tn,
desperate young ruffian and thrust hin
in No. 3 cell. "New York Jack" wa
placed in with him, and both wer,
rOned. "Scotty, who was recapturet
Up stairs by Chief O'Toole, wa
brought down and placed In anothe
cell. The whole affair lasted only
few minntes, but created coasiderabl
excitement.
4 SUCCESSFUL EsCAPE-"NEw YoRl
JACK" AND DAVIS GONE.
During last night close watch wa
kept on the cells, in order to proven
any further attempts to escape, but il
spite of all official vigilance. "Ney
York Jack" and Davis made their es
cape early this morning. At o'clocl
prison keeper Woodward and Polio
Constable Stewart both looked int
cell No. 3, and both prisoners wer
there. About 5 20 o'clock they took an
other 1ook when theyfound thecelldoo
open, and the prisoners were goHe.N
clue TO the escape was left, but it
supposed that the prisoners had a ke,
fitting the lock on the cell door, whic
hey used at the first favorable oppol
tunlty, The premises were Instant
searched up stairs and down, but h
I birds had made long fight. The
. ptobably escaped from the cellar
through coal schute, as this is tn
only opening in the building nc
secured by iron bars. Both men wer
handcuffed and ironed at the time G
@elr escape but they doubtless foun
plenty of friends who gladly relieve
them of these impediments to freedor
and progress. The police officials ar
much chagrincd at this escape, and
vigorous search was commenced earl
this morning.
Another supposition of the escap
that Davis or "New York Jack
took the key of their cell during tn
excitement occasioned by their prev
GUS arrest. The keys were then drol
PED, but were afterwards found on
window sill in the corridor thoug
when examined, this morning, No.
Key was missing.
During the night the prisoners saw
co their hand and leg cuffs, thoug
now they managed to do this is NJ
positively known. The only cuttiH
instrument they were known to ha,
was large iron spoon, which was ser
them with some supper. Out of tn
spoon they might have improvised
@w, as such things have been dor