Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-09-22
A PRISON TRAGEDY.

y INtSUN IWAVEUls
4 Niaht WWtchmaR Shsl while Trylas Il
Proven, the Escape 81 TIVE Desperate
rrlssners-The Murdcrers Fsrced 70 sWr'
render.
The Connecticut State Prison al
Wethersiield was the scene OF cold.
blooded murder ut IN early hour one
morning n short time ago, tho victim
being Wells Saipman, who has been for
some time tho night Waterman in the
main hall of the prison. The murderer
was Henry Hamlin, Of New Bedford,
and his accessory to the crime was vii.
liam Allen, of the same place. In ac-
cortlance with usual custom the prison.
ers were taken to their cells after their
days work had been done, aud their
meagre supper served out to them at six
o'clock. The cell doors were then locked,
but not bolted with the slide bars, this
latter operation being done at about $50
Pm, when the watchmen make tour of
the prison and take count Of the pris.
oners. After the convicts were locked
up, Hamlin opened the door OF his cell
by means Of false key, which he or
some OF his friends had made for him
out OF bits OF steel and steel nails at.
tached to II part Of n wrench which was
used by Hamlin in his work on a shoe
machine. Before leaving his coll he had
fixed in his bed dummy, made out of
one of his shirts stuffed with straw,
which he had taken from his mattress,
on leaving his cell, which was on the
third tier, Hamlin went up one fight OF
stairs to the fourth tier, and climbing to
the top of this tier Of cells, he lay down
to await later hour, when he hoped to
secure freedom for himself and his part
ner, Allen.
The good night inspection OF the cells
was made soon after eight o'clock. The
watchmen reported the count all right.
and left the prison in charge of Mr.. Ship.
man. The lights were turned down, and
after waiting until midnight, when all
was clear, Hamlin left his hiding place
and went down to the third tier again,
where his partner, Allen, was waiting for
him. The slide bnr was pulled, and with
the skeleton key Hamlin opened the door
to Aliens cell. and the pair of prison
breakers were ready to work. The noise
made by the sliding of the bar was heard
by Mr.. Shipman, who called ont, and
fired shot at point where he thought
he heard the noise. The shot failed {,
hit either of the convicts, who, in the
darkness, managed to reach the ground
floor. Mr.. Shipman fred at the con.
victs again, and again missed them.
whereupon they jumped upon him,
gagged him with part of a broom han
die and two leather thongs, and fastened
his hands behind his back with pair of
handouts. These they probably obtained
from some friend outside, as they were
new, and of a pattern not used in the
prison. In some manner Mr.. Shipman
got the gag out of his mouth, and again
cried for help, but all the men slept
soundly and no help came. Hamlin, who
had secured Mr.. Shipman's revolver,
then told the Waterman that another
word would result N death; but Mr..
Shipman again cried out, and Hamlin,
placing the muzzle of the revolver close
to the breast of the PROSTATE man, fred.
Shipman was shot in the left breast, two
inches below the nipple, and it is
thought that the ball grazed his heart.
The muzzle was held so closely to the
body Of Shipman that his clothing was
burned by the powder.
The shot quieted the Waterman, for
the wound proved to be fatal one, but
it aroused the attention of Warden
Hewea and the guards stationed around
the prison walls, who hurried to the
main prison hall to render any assistance
that lay in their power. The first two
guards that arrived fred at the flying
who had climbed to the top of |
The box of cells, but failed to hit either
of them, and before the exact location of
the prison breakers and murderers could
be ascertained, they had managed, with
m iron box, to break through the cell
ing over the cells, thin sheet of lath
and plaster which also formed the floor
Of the prison garrett, md they were safely
4uartered in the garrett, where they were
secure. The guards, knowing that the
convicts were armed, dare not go into
The garnet, either by the hole through
the ceiling Or by way of large door
which opened into it from the garnet
over the warden's quarters; but in the
the warden's sons had alarmed
The towns-people. and in half an hour af-
ter the alarm the prison was entirely
surrounded by guard of men, armed
with rifles and revolvers. While this
guard was being placed, Hamlin and
Allen had made their way from the gar.
ret into belfry which surmounts the
main prison. There they remained I'M
molested until discovered at about day
break by one of the guards, who fired
two shots at them, neither of which took
effect. When daylight came the prison
ars, finding that they could not possibly
escape from the belfry, offered to surren-
Ter, and finally came down to the ground
floor and gave themselves up to the war
len. They were locked up in the dark
cells, where they will be kept to answer
10 charge of murder in the first degree.
Mr.. Shipman fingered in a semi-con-
scious condition until eleven o'clock,
when he died.
Henry Hamlin and William Allen, the
were sent to the State prison
in September, 1871, for term of eight
years, for series of robberies committed
1t the cottages near New London,
md on vessels which were lying in the
narbor there. They had made their
escape from Connecticut in stolen sail
BOAT, and were captured after desper-
tie fight, pear Greenpoint, Long Island,