The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-02
TIE OUTLAW 0FTHEISLAND
A MAN VINO WAS DOING MS nest TO
RIVAL JdCK SHEPPARD.
A Co~ey Nest in the Attic Of a school House.
Den Under the flooring The Very

Queer Career OF Baysidc Advcnturer.
On the summit of smooth, grassy knoll,
about three quarters OF a mile from the little
Railroad depot Ia Bsyside, l.. l., Is the pretty
village school house. 1t Is a white painted
structure, about 81 by 90 feet In dimeu-
sions. 1t Is one story 10 height, with n conical
rooted, unlRhted loft, which has been I'D
| fomous IN the villages Of Long Island by the rc-
cent discovery that for two OF three years 1t was
undoubtedly the retreat Of the notorious rob-
1 Der, Jef Knight. About six months ago. rs
| Miss Bourse, the school mistress, entered tho
room, she noticed that the door of the scuttle,
which is cut through the ceiling just at tue en-
trance door, had been reversed so that the
/ rough, implanted side was exposed In stead Of
the one that is grained She saw also finger
marks along the wall, and that portions Of the
entrance doors had been broken and bruised
As the scutte Is about nfteen feet from the
| floor. and as there is no means Of reaching IL
/ except by ladder which is not kept in the
/ school house, she could not conjecture what
had made the displacement. When she recalled
| the fact that she had often found bits OF chicken
| bones on tue floor in the aisles, and that
many articles had been stolen from her desk
and books from the library. her asto fish ment
was changed TO fright She said nothing un,il
noon, aud at that time sue saw that at some
tne IN the forenoon tn scuttle bad bee
! pltced IN its proper position. She sent for her
/ hIoAHtT, MT. FRANK IL uiSe, "A trustee. nnu ON
exploring the ritch.dark chamber he found ON
every hand evidence that 1t had been long occu-
pied anu hastily quilted.
| THE BURGLARS LOFT.
| In a corner stood two large barrels OF ashes,
anu near 10y a barrel OF feathers anu a barrel II
quicken bones, atrunk made OF unpian ID boards.
| Two plain drawers, a Sperm oil Lamp, dark
lantern, an oil can, carpenter's level, saw that
had ueen stolen from MI Cain, hair ana black
| ing brushes mark baskets, ana some chickens.
Along the rafters ~ the loft were many little
rack hook, on which the occupant had hung
his clothes. The robber had assembled to the
was a strong iron nook. He forced up the
scuttle with pole. on the end of which he
hOisted up the hooked rope aud fastened tue
hook In tue side Of the scuttle.
A. there had been many fobberies IN Bayside
anu otner villages, aud IA II WAS known that
Jen Knight " lurking about, II was at once
conf q ured tn It he must have been the occu-
pant OF the sea house luft.
| Tue school closed ABOUT month ago, and
aweek ago MIR Hermann Hadk began to put
| on an addition to the rear wall In re-
moving the mel0de n. which stood on little
! platform near the teachers desk. of the
workmen saw that just IN the place In which
| the Instrument Dad stood the boards had teen
sawed through. lie took hold Of one end Of tue
boards. save a dulek pull, aud went over ON his
| back, followed ny a trap door aud heavy stone
| that was attached by a rope Ia the cavity that
| ne had opened he saw hole about two feet deep
scooped IN tue eartu, ana narrow channel ex-
| Tending under the building.
The school house STANDS on a side hill and
lifted about two feet at the front. A heavy
plank that had once extended across the open-
| an unobstfuc;ed passage through the opening
| which Mas Two feet long and eight inche, wide.
| lrIruring lang. tue work uen. on hands and
| Knees, ctept along the dark chaunel that had
| oetn bored IN the direction of the house front
| IL extended Tor aoout eighteen feet. ana then
| the natural sp.ce between the nDor and the
earth became hgh enough for the passage Of
nm, mn, fur.ner on the men rraehc1 the front
foundation wall, and there made discovery.
The BURGLARS Den.
In one corner lay lew pine boards that had
| FORMED Oed, over which we're sprsad many
quits and blankets. About Two Dozen books,
alr.nged III order were the pill W Of the coucn.
Matches ana ce r.. pipes anu toDacco. Uttered
the nOuf aud lamp hang from uIcce OF lin
ber little sugar icsf stove stood against the
wall, aud rope ladder. with an IRON hook,
cooled w on lne srodnd. ine den h,d been
only recent, deserted. several tools that
had been messed Dy carpenters were found
ana one man recognized au article that was sto-
len Two Years aso. There were several pots, a
| friug pan, huiyes and forks, aud razOr. fo-
tato peelngs covered toe ted. Inc aperture
was not nlsh enough 10 allow a man To sit up
hight except VITO lis head between the beans.
Ia books showed marAs OF fr.uuent uetus 1.
The men uueArtned the rest n tue school IL
trtry, ~ buOks, that Ma ueen stored IN the
earth II the entrance to tns retreat. Everything
| iAdic ttfd the freaks u Je1. kui-ht.
Jen. hni-nt's family are respected rcsilents
| Of bayside, md jon IN bis boyhood TENDED tne
| Is yside school. lie was one Of Eve children
each one Il WHOM bore the natue OF un Aull IL
ctn III sldent, he bearing the name OF President
| jefferson. lie was regarded rs Of all unU nend-
iug bat fan iful di,p sittou, aId he amused the
! Villagers with ms oddities. Al. the money tnatlie
could DOT ,in ne Invested IA the iuost exciting u
| blood and thunder novels. lie feyelisd IN the
! adventures OF uug-uGs and ulgnwaymeu, and
Jack Sheppard aud JACK Heruld we're MS nerues.
ne assumed a faAisn nat and walked the village
streets with his Uelt stack fun OF rusty old pis-
tuls. After quitting scnO"l lao learned black
50 timing, and WIS accounted skiful ~
chauic. Oace lie was Jaui,Or of the school build
! ug. HIS ntst exploit was tue roonery OF store.
! Next ne stole morse, piin,ed one OF It's feet.
an. was arrested, with the animal, In Counecu-
! cut. lie Informed the Oficor that he would
| show nitn quiet Lldce III ZlDn Church, at Little
| Noes, 70 whch there we're other thinss that he
| niRnt like 10 e. lie mad teen all at endant OF
| TINS churtn. He took tie detective 10 tae Us-
| Try, ia winch us every sppli nee Tor house.
keeping. Ia addiuon he pointed out loads Of
y4iuables aud all the silveiware of the church.
| a ne"spapyr OF the latest d ate anu fresh
| Deefsteak showed that Jen had partner, but
he refused to disclose any names. he had lalse
whiskefs, Wigs, and other DISCUSSES ia the Delry.
| lie was sent 10 sung sing for ten years. Ihrre
nj, conduct pleased every one, and alter four
| years VI his sentence had expired he was al
| iowsd 10 sleep IN the garrett VI the prison. lie
cut hole through the room one ni-nt, and slid
down tue lightning rou TO the ground aud
| escaped. After that he roamed the woods VI
| Long lei .nd.
OTHER STORIES THEY TELL OF HIN.
He was seen ABOUT two years ago III Fulton
| German hunter, who was robin-snooting Ia
| tn ueuths Of the tangled and almost iln pens-
trAble woods tnat cover the Hills ia the neigh
Lornood OF Jamaica, entered a dense cedar
| thicket and stumbled upon curiously shaped
| mound In the hillside. It's roof was OF turf and
| sticks The hunter set his foot against the side,
| aud fierce, fuil-bearded man sprang forth.
i les hunter NED; a: A pose Bose Of police
complete underground habtation. provided
| with household utensils. he owner did
not return, and tue Officers demolished
the house. In June Of this year some
| young women discovered pile Of leaves in the
| T. rest n Rocky iil, ana Ia kicking them aside
| disclosed pail OF fresh mix. Last spring Jen
| was seen one evening on the railroad track near
| Nside. lie wore his brgand costume. tight
! pantaiuons, black SLOUGH hat, cutaway coat. and
| high TOP boots. In his hatoand was the wlng
oil golden wOOdprcker
Again another mound was discovered In the
woods supposed to belong to Jen that was sinl-
| liar To the one already mentioned.
| some time ago a farmer near Flushing saw a
| bright llgnt on hilltop IN the woods near his
| house. lie visited the IRE and saw "A careless
| looking STRANGER at the door Of little oilclOth
shelter tent IN front Of tue nro devouring a
| roasted chicken.
| "Mhat're YOU doing here 2" asked the farmer.
| "Eaun', replied the stranger copllY.
| "Where did you get that chickenY
| "Oh, down here piece"
| DO YOU always live this wayf
| Yes, when hard up."
| This ,losed tive dialogue, and the farmer went
| hone. No one desired u 20 and get the man 10
| the tent, and the IRE burned on for several
| hours. Jen ~ thirty OF thirty years Old.
Several months ago Pass nc county, ~ j.. was
| the theatre Of operations Of gang OF burglars,
! ana knight, then known as Ferguson, Was ar
rested, anu while In the EnglewoOd IN he dis
| closed the names Of his accom- plces and made
IN. Ia fAla auff hair fIaal ..ff