The sun., 1878-07-18
THREE CONFLICTS MISSING.
disappearing FROM Bcncnth the Eyes of Three
Guards on Sing sing Priscn's wall.

fhhEE tONFftfh "f'Nf'V'
disappearing from Bcneath the Eyes OF Three
Guards on Sling sing Prisons Wall.
Three Sing Sing prison convicts were
missing at lookup time on Tuesday evening.
Tho convcls march from the shops to the coils
at G T. NJ. at tho sound OF what is known as the
"ring-in" bell. When II is heard the men
gather in ranks. breast to back. There Is no
roll call in the shops. hut the keepers are ox-
poctcd TO know all the men in their companies
and to be abc on sight to tell whether
any havo failed TO march in. On Tues
day evening however. three companies
marched to the main prison short ono
man each. aud their absence was not
noticed until the men were ranged in front Of
their coils. Francis Gilen a lifer" for muir
der. and Daniel Brown and James Lawrence.
short term burglars. were not in ranks. AZ soon
as the other conVicts had been locked up the
alarm was given. and search was begun for
the missing convicts. Additional night guards
were posted. and every avenue Of escape for the
fugitives was sealed. Early Yesterday morning
the unsuccessful search OF the night before was
resumed. but up TO n late hour last evening the
conyicis had not been found.
Gilen Brown. and Lawrence worked in the
stove foundry run by Perry Co.. contractors.
who employ 900 of tho convicts at 80 cents a
sorted tho TASKS used in the foundry Tho
TASKS are wooden boxes mudc to hold the sand
| in which the mould to receive the molten metal
is cut. Near the north wall the TASKS are piled
seven or eight feet high. with aislcs
| Of about two feet IN, width between
| them. There are hundreds of these iidsks
| in the yard, the highest ana most dcnsely-
| packed piles being within twenty yards Of the
Northern. gate In tho aisles aud behind the
piles ot TASKS a man might easily dress ana
| undrgss without attracting the attention OF the
guards on the wall although they are In sight,
Tho four men handling the h9Sks were not
watched by a special keeper. but were sup
posed to be- constantly under the eyes o! one or
more of the guards on the wall.
The search yesterday involved the moving Of
miscellnneous debris. Lut acrordln.. To- the sto-
ry told 10y the officials no traces OF the missing
men were found. Once Warden Davis Thought
that the earth rencath his feet SOUNDED hollow.
but after he had had n hole dug he found that II
was ~ solid us any other part OF the grounds.
Noticing that some OF the foundry build ings
We're raised from the ground foot or two he
ordered a thorough exploration beneath them.
Thus the rhoic day WAS spent. and last night
river 'front.' was lighted ana phtroiled 10y ciIht
10 prevent ne escape Of iho conyicis from their
supposed hiding places in the yard. -
u" do not think the men have esraped," War
den Davis said last evening. think they are
hide himself In the yard Tor twQ or three days
away 10y the river. In May last Charles Brown
slowed himself away in a ear that he lad been
helping 10 load. ani got ~ far as roughkeep-
SIC, nut thore we c9ught MN. Now that ne
almost impossible, II these three men es,
caped they only did 81 with, the, conniyance OF
| tho guard at the gate and do not want 10
bring 80 grave charge against him
without ample proof. u you looked at
that gate when we were in the yard you saw that
the guard was posted in "a tower above. and 4
'tle north of II. and that he opened and closed
It with a lever. Now. only few persons, su'h as
c.ntraftors instructors; anu a limited numueI
of keepers are permitted To the cato. and the
oners procured citizens, dress and passed out
through tho gate. i could only have been WIN
the connivance OF t1v guard or oGfaHse % 81 n hls
in the prison. and II they procured any II must
have been from the inside. do not yet despair o
finding them in the yards. and shall keep ny
captured or am assured that they are at large
stownways. and under II former Warden ther,
was one time when tho watch was maintalnet
for five successive weeks.
es'Rpc j. impossible hide until they are starved
out. and then give themselves up. sent a.
police authorities. but | shall give no genera
alarm until think the men have escaped.
Usually after thei ringing OF the All right
bell. which is not ordered until the prsoncr
arc. in their cells. tho wall guards arc with
Dir wn but in cases like this they keep thcii
potts day and night. There are rs keepers
: before the wall was built there were l5O."
krBr sN wnpo 9om w9o WI 20 on f"
Tuesday. has. been suspended to await in
luiry. Ono OF tho other keepers saw Gil
Brown, and Lawrence at L. NJ. Tuesday
: They had quit work. and were washin.
/, their hands and faces. After that time thcl
were not seen by any official in the prison.
Mrs. Dingy. who lives near the northern gate
saw three men close to her house At about
o'clock Tuesday evening. and said To- her hns
. band. " believe there three convicis.' Th'
! men were dressed in dark suits and wore slouch
ed hats. As soon as they were out oi sight of III
guards on tho walls they separated and ran II
three different directions. One struck out II
the direction Of the Harlem road another to
ward Tarrytown, and the third in the direction
Of the village Of Sing Sing
II Wardon Davis had heard that evidence
> which has been corrobOrated. he did not see u
10 give it 10 tho reporter. Neither. did he tel
him that suits Of convict clothing. bearing evi
: dence OF having been recently worn. ha'
been found in the prison. keeper In
confidential mood mentioned that fact how
} ever. II Is tho general opinion In Sing SIM
, that the prisoners escaped through the gate
and that they are either hiding in the wood
back Of Tarrytown or Scarborough, or hay
made their way To New York. The police at tn
Grand Central depot had not received descrip
tiOns OF the men last evening.