The New York herald., 1877-10-05
THE GUELPH ABDUCTOR.

CURIOUS DETAILS OF WELL ARRANGED PLOT
OF EscAPE-MIsslvEs TO BIS CoNFEDERATEs
WRITTEN IN ONION JUIcE-THE FORTUNATE
DETECTION.
The Guelph (ont) Herald OF the cath ult contained
interesting account OF the plot laid by Frederick
Sturdy. abductor OF the daughter OF Sheriff Carr
10 escape from prison. The atrocious circumstances
OF his crime ought still TO be fresh in the memory OF
the public, as Tor audacty and outrage unpar-
aleled. The following is the narrative:-
Sturdys cell, which is In tho second story, opens
into corridor tho windows OF which face tho east,
and looked down into yard In which was stored, till
Thursday, the gailows upon which White hanged
Immediately beneath are the cells occupied by the
hardabor prisoners, who In the yard, divided
from the galiows storing yard by hign stone wall.
Through the medium OF Jelreys, Sturdy, who was not
allowed outside his own corridor, made the acquant
ance Of the hard-abor prisoners. Prisoners a
natural fellow feeling for each other, and these
received packages which were tossed over the wall.
secrcted them IN their clothing took them into their
corridor, and the windows boing open, shouled,
"Hellol Sturdy, how are you?n Whereupon Sturdy
would lower string from his corridor window, the
package tied on, and up 1t came to Sturdys hands.
These packages were numerous, and some containing
tobacco we're appropriated BY tho lower tier Of
prisoners proceeding which led Sturdy 10 write tho
following noe, which was found upon Jedreys, and
which is in sturuy's writing:-"Aiwsys LOOK out at
four O'Clock at nignt II might come any day every
day. Be sure and not open any parcel except tobacco
as there may be something don't want any one to
sec."
COMPLETE ournE
Friday evening, at halfpast nve, the men below
reported the ir as having arrived, and Sturdy low
cred strng and brought up package. which he
opened. his parcel contained two bows, such
are used BY mechanics working In fine metal work,
ten finely tempered saws about the size OF large
handspring oi watch, some putty. some SpAnisn
brown paint, quantity OF smpblack and few small
camelhair paint Drushea Tho painting material
was evidently intended 10 cover up the work Of tho
SAWS III the event OF failuro to complete tho cutting
OF the grating in one night With the saws the bolts
o: the cell door could have easily been sundered, and
the ;uar construction OF the grating OF the outside
window admitted OF It's being easily cut TO permit
the passage OF man. This successfully accom- mpshco,
nothing was easier than to lower one
self INTO tho galiows yard where the old
gailows would assist the person TO tho top Of
the wall or, after the removal OF tho gaiiows
Thursday an outside friend couid readily
pass ladder over the wall, and tho trick
liberty. Discovering from Jeffreys the existence OF
the tools Mr Mercer Instituted a search Tor them
Beds were examined bassboards torn o1, foor taken
up and every conceivable hiding place peered into.
Finally, underneath a small table IN the corridor
found small she'll maze from the board upon which
the Jail regulations had been posted and which shelf
kept in its place by means OF pins. On this shelf
were found the pants, putty brushes saw handIcs and
a argc package Of charcoal, which latter had been
teegraphed up the string peco BY piece sturdy told
two stcr cs about the charcoal One-and tho most
Iikely-was that was intended to be used
In .empering tho saws in case they required it.
The other story was that should all tail,
he would put blanket over the coll door,
light the charcoal retire to bed and become smothered
by the charcoal fumes Aiior searching tor some
hours the ten dminulivc saws were found in little
ventilating register.
sEcRBr MESSAGES WRITTEN iS ONION JricE.
Sturdy has been removed to o stronger cell on the
ground door OF the jail, where he viii propaDy rc-
main until his trial comes on Among other articles
found was bottle OF onion juice, when the prisoner
bad expressed from The onions gwen him food The
hnding OF this bottle threw light on his mode OF
communicating with his outside friends. Ho In
tue habit OF making out accounts which he said we're
due him ior painting, and sending them out after
spcction by the jailer to his fanny tor collection. lis
usual plan was to write these accounts half
sheet Of ioolscap, with considerable space between
them. In this space he wrote IN onion juice
whatever he desired TO communicate TO his
outside conlederates. The accounts received by tho
confederate and held to tho nre disclosed tho
cealed writing Sturdy offered Jefrcys 5000 assist
him TO escape, and IL IS quite likely the latter would
have done so had the plot not boen discovered: al
though II Is improbable that Jenreys would havo
escaped himself, Us his term oil imprisonment Will be
up In a couple Of weeks. One OF the ma,n gates to
the PRISON yard Is so sprung Us TO admit large par
GEL end II SAID that outsiders have been ia he habit
OF furnishing prisoners with tobacco, newspapers,
Sc, through this opening. The plot was extremely
we'll laid and II u nsd not been for ls almost acci-
dental discovery, would undoubtedly have been sue.
cessuL The authorities have pretty good idea Of
where the came irom and there will probably bs
All arresl or Two Ia u day or Two.