Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-03-29
The Rarre Rank nnrglnrN.
Attempted Escape of Miles from state Prison.
His Appearance In Court A tontsnu-
ance Refused The Trial Begun.


ATTEMPTED EsCArE % MiLis
II II hadn't been for little Tim Ilandlin fidelity
the thousand and one prophets who have been
predicting that no prison or Jail In Vermont was
able to hold Miles would have had triumphant
veriiicaiion Of their prediction Last week Miles
conceived one Of the most ingenious and we'll
planned schemes ever discovered. a sketch Of
which We lay before our readers:
II seems that Miles occupied the first cell In the
lower tier, ON the north side Of the prison. A.
he was awaiting trial. he was not put into the
shops, but was ordered to remain in his cell all
day, when not taking exercise. lie was fastened
in by strong lock in the iron grating door, and
thick iron har which was fastened across the door
by a paddock and an iron hasp. This bar was In
addition To the usual iastcnings especially for
Miles benefit The doors to the cells are APP
preached through massive masonry stanchions
more than foot thick 1t ran into deep slot In
the eastern embrasure Of the door, through the
other embrasure, which was also the northwest
corner Of the prison. A slot was cut, aud the bar,
being thrust through, was fastened In the manner
described above. Miles has had several visitors
since bis Incarceration In the state prison. the
most frequent ones being his wife, who has ex-
hibited admirable devotion, and a man named
Robbins, who claimed 10 be horseman from New
Haven. The prisoners are waited on By r0o
" hall boys OTIS Haley and Ike Godfrey, young
conyicts, who are allowed greater liberty than the
rest, and are not locked up until the last These
hall boys cell together, and llaleys brother who
was sentenced with him, cells with Tim Ilandlin.
rHE rLAN ARRANGED
Az near w. can now he ascertainod, Miles, or
his friends first tried to bribe Ike Godfrey; but he
was either incorruptblc or else did not have the
requisite pluck. They pretended to him then for
blind that the idea of escape was given up, and
Immediately made arrangements with OTIS Haley.
In order for Miles to get free il was necessary 10
have the cell door unlocked, the cross bar UNI
fastened, and door which led from the prison
hall to the yard opened once in the yard. Miles
hoped 10 scale the walls aud take French leave Of
Superintendent Bailey some one brought three
block-keys into the prison aud got them TO Otis.
Otis probably took Impressions of the three locks
In wax and As it proved, succeeded in filing them
50 they fitted perfectly. In order to conceal these
keys from Ike Otis hid them with his brother,
and Il was by this-means that Tim Handlin sus-
pected what was up Tim was in when he first
made the discovery OF the keys, and stayed in his
cell all day Having communicated with Super
intcndeni Bailey, he fcgned sickness by advice,
and having disclosed to the Haleys that he knew
their dongs and sympathized with them, was
taken into their entire confidence; meanwhile the
strctest guard was kept at the prison, but it was
deemed best to allow the affair to come to a head
in order to catch if possible the outsiders who
were supposed 10 be in It,