The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-07-16
A STRUGGLE FOR LIBERTY.
Two Conylcts Attempt to Jump from
Train-Desperate Fight with Passen-
gers and Officers.

Win
gers and Officers.
From the Chicago Tribune, July 81
One Of the most desperate attempts at
escape on record occurred yesterday
morning on the train which conveyed the
convicts recently sentenced III the Grim
inal Court from this city to the Peniten-
tiary at Joliet. There were nineteen
prisoners in all, and they were guarded
by Sheriff Agnew, Deputy Ed Longley,
and Assistant-Turnkey John Council.
Several ordinary passengers occupied
the car with the jail-birds, who We're, by
the way, manacled and chained one to
the other, in couples, after the most APP
proved fashion. They were, indeed, a
terrible gang, hardened in sin, and ready
to risk, or even TO lose, their lives rather
than submit to the long confinement and
hard labor which came to them as just
reward for their divers crimes against
society and the laws.
All passed off quietly until the train
had passed Lemont, when 1t was running
at its maximum speed-about 30 miles
an hour. Sheriff Agnew stood in one
end of the car, facing the locomotive, SO
as to command the convicts on one side,
while Deputy Longley, at the other end
of the car, commanded the prisoners on
the other side. John Council did gen
eral duty common on such expeditions.
At the point indicated, two OF the pris-
oners, each sentenced to three years III
the Penitentiary, asked permission to go
to the water-closet, which was situated
on the west side of the car. Cornell
was directed to accompany and keep
watch over them. He kept the door
partially open, but the men crushed
against it, and he could see only one leg /;
but, knowing that this limb was con-
nected with the other convict by an I'M
breakable fetter, he had no suspicion of
anything wrong until he saw the leg
gradually sliding. away from the dominion
the door, and saw that one of the pris-
oners had actually gone through the win
dow leading to the platform, and was
dragging the other worthy after him in
most Jealous and scientific manner.
Cornell shouted an alarm, and caught
the rear guard of this most forlorn hope
by the foot, hanging on like grim death.
In the meantime Mr.. John Byrne, the
lawyer, had noticed that something was
going on and rushed to the platform of
the Car Just as one man had emerged
from the window and the other was par
italy out. He seized the outsider by
the arm, and signaled to Deputy Long
ley, who at once comprehended the situa-
ton, and rushed out on the platform.
There he found one of the convicts, a
rllllian named Mccarthy, hanging on the
side of the train, and making superhu-
man exertions to release his comrade
from the grasp of Council. Longley got
his arm around the neck of the fellow
coming out of the window, seeing which
Council released his hold and came to-
the plucky Deputy's assistance on the
outside. Both men were now out Of the
window, and were only held from going
oft the cars by the amazing efforts of
Longley and Byrne. The former, in
order to save himself from being drawn
OFT the platform to certain death, wound
his disengaged arm around the iron rail.
ing, and thus, although strained in q
/ fearful manner, prevented the convicts
from taking the terrible jump until sew
eral passengers, together with Cornell.
rushed to aud him. Then ensued ter
rible struggle. Mccarthy and the other
prisoner, whose name is forgotten.
fought with the fury of wild beasts, and
seemed to court death with unexampled
hardihood. McCarthy's foot sometimes
almost touched the ground. Mccarthy
worked so hard that he almost tore the
hand off the fellow who was held by
Longley. The struggle, for the time it
lasted, was intensely exciting, but finally
numbers prevailed, and the sullen cap
tves were led back to their seats.
Meanwhile Sheriff Agnew, who OBJ
served the movement in front of him and
at once comprehended its meaning, was
placed III an unenvidble position. When
the remaining convicts saw the attempt
made by their comrades, they simulta-
neously sprang from their seats and at
tempted to make rush. Agnew drew
his revolver, and shouting, "Take your
seats this minute or I'll fire upon you 20
overawed the rascals and compelled their
obedience
The attempt of Mccarthy and his con-
federate was most audacious. Chained
together, and the train proceeding at so
rapid rate, they must have inevitably
been drawn beneath the wheels, and so
have miserably persisted. But even such
fate, Mccarthy afterward admitted,
would have been preferred to three years
of Penitentiary discipline in the Grim
inal palace at Joliet.