The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-07-24
An Escaped Noble.

PoTTsvILLE, July Is --John Glib
bons, of Shenandoah, q Mollle Mag
uire prisoner, serving a seven-years'
sentence in the S~chlylkill county
prison., made a daring and successful
escape last evening, and has not been
at SIS a young nan named Lsip
was standing on q street corner OPP
posi,e the prison wall when he heard
a queer noise as Of some one hand
ling iron bolts and bars. In q few
moments a man appeared on the top
Of the wall, crawled some distance
along it and dropped OF the outside,
q sheer fall of about 80 feet landing
in a garden. While the sole witness
of the performance was making up
his mind what to do, the man rose,
climbed the fence and ran, or rather
trotted, down the hill toward Centre
street, the nearest way to St Clair and
other points where Gibbons has
friends
THE DISCOVERY.
A couple Of underkeepers, who
were sitting on the steps leading into
the yard 10 such a position that they
might have eel the fugitive by look
ing up heard the noise of his fall, and
went to lock out, but at that time
there was nothing TO be seen. With
suspicious reused, however, and
thinking at once of Gibbons, who has
been uuder surveillance ever since a
previous unsuccessful attempt 10 es-
cape they went directly to HE cell
No. 100. The cell was empty, and
a rope, made Of strips Of the priso-
ner's bedding hung from the vacant
window-frame. An alarm was i'm
mediately given, and Instructions tel
egraphed 20 the Coal and Iron police
all over the region TO lock out for the
escaped MolIie. aud then the officials
turned their attention TO the means
by which the escape was Effected.
AN ESCAPE
Examination showed that it had
been q work Of time, trouble a-d sim
gllar ~audacity. Gibbons was en-
ployed 10 the carret-weaVlng depart
ment, aud occupied two cells, one in
which be worked, and the other, at
some distance, In which he slept. He
had a pair of scissors to use about
his work, and out of this be formed
q rude wrench, with which he un-
screwed the rpts from the
bolts that fastened biz wirdow-an
iron window in an iron frame. From
his weaving frame be took several
pieces Of wood and fastened them
together with the bolts Of his window
in such a manner that they formed a
folding jimmy FIVE feet long when ex-
tended, which eonid DO folded into a
If one foot. An iron book
from bis weaving frame completed
tie instrument, which he musl have
carried with him in his daily jour-
neys between bis two cells. When
all was ready be took out the win
dow, squeezed through the opening,
let himself down by the rope above
described, climbed the wall BY
means of the water-spou u and light
ning-rcd, with the aid Of his hooked
stick, and escaped. at this writing
be has not been recap;ured, and if
be sncceeds 10 getting among his
friends in the nraefoQs mining towns,
il is ex:rtmly doubtful whether ne
viii be caught.
HIS CRIME
Gibbons is G NOTORIOUS rough. He
is one Of three Nellie Maguires who
detailed to shoot William VI.
Thomas. a, labsnoy CITY, and who
b idly up to The door os the stable in
Thomas was working. on the
noyn:ug of June the is, 1878, and
fred . nsmker Of shots into him.
sounding him severely, blt not ia
.siiy. Gibbons left the e1qntry. but
vas sfterward arrested. and on the
18th of October, 1915. was Sebisn-
ed to seven years imprisonment at
lard labor. He has been indefati
yaase in bic Efforts to escape, and
very nearly ssfcesded. The
Prison officials regarded him as
rery shrewd, cunning and daring
whom it vas impossible to