The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-11

some time in New York, and then III COM
pany with young woman started for Ten
nessee; that, accompanied by his paramour,
he had gotten as far as Wytheyille, Va; that
there he robbed an old cattle-dealcr and was
apprehended, convicted, and sent to the
Virginia penitentiary.
TESTIMONY OF THE CLERK OF wYTHE.
Yesterday telegram was sent to the clerk
OF the Circuit Court of Wythe asking him il it
was true that Clay Crawford had been con-
yicted OF robbery in that county, and the
following was bis reply:
WYTHEv1LLE, Va, September 10, 1871.
"The record here showsthaC G. Crawford
and r. G. Clifford were convicted OF bur-
erary and sentenced for five years. imprison-
ment in the State penitentiary on the 10th
day OF October, 1855. <,'' .t-i
"WnLIAA r. FOSTER.
"Clerk OF Court"
TIE RECORD AT THE CAPITOL.
An examination of the Executive journal
at the Capitol was made. There were two
entries referring to &C. Crawford," as fol-
lows:
"NovEADER !, 1856.
" A petition was received for the pardon
Of G.. Crawford, prisoner in the pcniten-
tiary, sentenced thereto by the Circuit Court
of the county OF Wythe for stealing and
passing counterfeit money, and upon con-
sideration thereof the Governor rejected
the same
"NoyEnBER %, 1855.
Information having been received from
the Superintendent OF the Penitentiary Of
the escape from that institution OF c. Craw-
ford. one OF the conyicts, who had been
sentenced to five years Imprisonment by
the Circuit Court of Wythe for burglary :
"Ordered, that reward Of $500 be offer
ed for his arrest and return to the pcniten-
tiary. A proclamation to that effect was
awarded and published accordingly.
"JOSEPH JOHNSON.
"Teste:
so. ". MunJord, Secretary OF the Com
Il. monWealth." .-~-
A search through the Executive papers
was made: for Crawford's application fol
pardon, but the packages for that year 1S55
could not be found. slf +
HOW CRAWFORD ESCAPED. : %
Next, recourse was had to the files Of the
Hhiq, and there, in the paper Of Friday
November 80, 1855, was found the follow
ing:Ii.l ' t.' -''' =. l.
'sEsCApE OF CONVECTION Monday
night last, about O'Clock, a convict named
C. Crawford made his escape from the peni-
tentiary, where he had been but recently
confined under sentence OF five years i'm.
prisonment for burglary committed in
Wythe county. He was working in the
shoe department, and on Monday by feign.
ing sickness obtained permission to go to
the hospital for medicine. Instead OF going
there, however, he went to his apartment III
the prison and removed his name from the
door, He then returned and managed to
conceal himself in the shoe-shop. At night
when the prisoners were locked up it was
observed that the name'had been removed,
and rs it is sometimes the custom to change
prisoners from one cell to- another,
the guard supposed Crawford had been
assigned place in the lower gallery, and
no suspicion was excited. Meantime Craw-
ford remained in his place OF concealment,
and after the shoe-shop haf been finally va
Gated for the night he arrayed himself in 4
suit OF clothes belonging to convict whose
term had nearly expired, and which had
been placed there for repair. a fine pair
OF boots, Just finished for citizen OF Rich
mond, was conveniently near, and he did
not scrupe to take them, leaving his prison
shoes in their place. His next movement
was to procure some bridle-reins and Lash
together two pieces Of scantling, BY means
OF which he scaled the wall, and set OF
upon his journey unobserved by any one"
GOVERNORS PROCLAMATION.
The following appeared the same day as
an advertisement:
"S400 REwARD.-BY TIE GOVERNOR OF
VIRGINIA. Proclamation. - Information
having been received by, the Executive that
c. Crawford, one OF the conyicts from the
penitentiary Of this State, who was sentenced
br the Circuit Courtoi the county OF Wythe
to five years imprisonment therein for bur-
glary, effected hts escape last night and Is
now at large,
II do hereby offer 4 reward OF 500 to
any person or persons who shall arrest the
said C.. Crawford and deliver him into the
penitentary, and do, moreover, require al
officers OF the commonwealth, civil and mill
tary, and request the-people generally TO use
their best eXertions to procure the arrest Of
the, said Crawford, that ne may be brought
TO Justice.
~, Giyen.under my hand as Gov
Il. s. ernor, and under the lesser seal Of
t~.-- the Commonwealth, at Richmond
this 2sth day OF November, in the year 1866
,"JosEPH JOHNSON.
"By the Governor George W. Nun ford
Secretary of the Commonwealth.
&C. Crawford is said to be portrait
nainter. He is twenty-four years old, five
feet nine and a half inches high, rather darb
complexion, black hair, and hazel eyes
His head was shaved on the oath October
last, and his hair is still short. Heis said tc
have wife in Baltimore.
"The Superintendent OF the Penitentiary
on the part OF the penitentiarY and officers
of the institution, offers an additional re-
ward OF two hundred dollars II the salo
Crawford be returned to prison WHINE
twelve months OF the time Of his escape. J.
There is nothing to show that CRAWFORD
was ever recaptured. The Coarler-Jour
describes Crawford as rather tall, hand
some man, with light-brown eyes.
DR.. j. w. Anderson, OF this city, knew K
Clay Crawford soon after the war, wher
Crawford was living In great affiuence on
handsome estate on the Delaware. DR.. An
| derson, however, had never heard OF th'
| story about Crawford haying been in th'
Virginia penitentiary.
The Turkish Legation at Washingto,
states that Osman Pasba "is born Mus
guIman." They ought to know, but it ma
be that they do not. There is some proDa
bility, however, that our convict Crawfor'
and &. Clay Crawford are one and tn
same.