Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-11-21
New Series-VO1. 1S-No q 5

/ fUgltIVeS to Delaware, and there los
all track of them.
The next day the team hired by the
| stranger was returned here by a livery
stable keeper from Delaware, who sta.
ted that about O'Clock that morning
he had been awakened by the calls of !
man asking for the care of a team.
Upon coming to the front of the sta
bic he found a carriage, drawn by a
team OF horses completely covered with
foam, and showing the signs of having
been driven at great speed.
The carriage contained three men
and a very pretty woman, and the
leader of the party, large, handsome
man, had said that his party had come
from Columbus on important business,
and intended taking the train for the
East, which left In few moments.
He further said the stranger had told
him where the team belonged, and had
given him money to pay for their use,
and ten dollars for his own trouble and
to pay for the return of the team to
Columbus.
The story of this man was speedily
com municated to Col. Raymond Burr,
then Warden of the Penitentiary.
which, with the knowledge he had
upon the subject, satisfied him that the
Delaware party Was the one he was
specially interested in.
When the young men about town
learned that their handsome friend was
charged with assisting in the escape of
the convict, Roe, they were at first in
dignant that any one should charge
such perfect gentleman with being
the friend of burglar, but after time
they saw the matter in a new light.
were wisely silent as to their acquain-
tance with the man.
What specially troubled the prison
authorities was to learn who was the
third man who bad been seen in the
carriage at Delaware, but it was after.
wards found that young man named
Frank Hatchf a son OF foreman of one
OF the prison shops, was missing, and
in time it was discovered to a certainty
that he was the third man in the car
riage.
THE PLAN AND THE ESCAPE.
By system best known to those who
have dealings with criminals, the plan
of the escape came to the knowledge
of the prison authorities.
1t appears that the handsome strang.
ger, the supposed agent of the English
cloth house, was the burglary who had
assisted in the robbery of the Cadiz
bank, and had escaped capture. After
his escape he went East, and mixed in
various criminal matters, but feeling
the need OF the shreW1 head of his pal,
Mccoy conceived the plan of assisting
in his escape.
To lind an instrument to assist him
In his plans was his first object, and in
some way he fastened upon young
Hatch.
FRANK HATCH
was Of good Yankee stock, and came
with his fathers family to this city,
perhaps twenty years ago. He was
bright, good looking yonng fellow, and
when he first Came here was a bow OF
great promise. His fathers appoint
ment as foreman of one OF the prison
shops also gave Frank employment
and the run of the prison. As Hatch
grew to manhood, he became wild, and
somewhat reckless. and was never
quite so happy as when in the compa-
ny of depraved women.
This weakness the stranger was not
long in discovering, and as soon as pos
sible beautiful fallen woman was
brought here from the East and intro
duced to Hatch as the sister of the
daShing stranger.
The bait took well, and very soon
Hatch was completely under the do
main of the pretty frail one. By easy
stages the subject of the escape of a
convict was mentioned to Hatch, but
he, knowing that to assist in such an
escapade meant imprisonment for him
self, at first utterly refused to be par
ty to it. Then the dark eyes of the
woman and her winning ways were
exerted to the full, and young Hatch
consented to think of the matter, and
was happy with the woman, his de-
strOyer.
Finding him pliabIe,. the stranger
capped the climax by offering Hatch
81 900 in money if he succeeded in de-
livering Mccoy, alias Roe, safely out
side the walls of the prison, and safe
conduct for himself and the woman to
New York City.
This sattled the business, and Hatch
at once communicated with Mccoy.
NOTHING BUT A BARREL OF sHA-
WINGS, TOM"
AT six O'Clock that evening Wagon
belonging to one of the prison contrac-
tors was about leaving the prison yard
with d load of merchandise, when the
driver was accosted by Hatch, and re-
uuested to add barrel to his load.
What ye got there, Frank?" asked
the driver. "Oh, nothing but barrel
of shavings, Tom" Was the response,
and in trice the barrel and contents
were lifted on the wagon, aud Hatch
seated safely on top of 1t.
When opposite a large field OF corn
Hatch lifted the barrel off the wagon,
thanking the driver for his kindness,
and went his way. Once in the cOrnfeld,
the barrel head was kicked in, and out
stepped James Mccoy, clad in his pris-
on suit. A shrill whistle soon brought
up carriage containing the stranger
and The handsome woman, and after
giving McCOy time to array himself In
n fashionable suit of clothes, the party
all entered the carriage and drove at
break-neck speed to Delaware, from
whence they took the train direct Tor
New York.
The conduct OF Hatch nearly broke
his fathers heart, and brought sorrow
upon the whole family, and he was
looked upon as one dead TO them.
As near as can be learned Mccoy be-
came a wanderer from place TO place,
even going as far west as California.
The prison authorities repeatedly got
upon his track, but he was always sutfi-
GENTLY shrewd to match cunning with
cunning.
A RECOGNITION BEHIND THE BARS.
Nearly three years after the escape,
one of the prison authorities, while
visiting Cherry Hill prison of Phils-
delphia, was attracted by the appear
anee of one of the convicts ihere con-
6ned for Darticipating in the burglary
of a Philadelphia bank, and, upon fur
tber examination, he proved to be Me-
Coy, late of the Ohio stronghold.
As soon as McCoy's term In the Cher.