The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-04-30
A Convict Whom Prisons do Not Hold.

One of the convicts in the Kentucky
State prison is a man named Doddridge,
whom prisons have never been able long
to confne. A few years ago, for some
crime, he was sentenced to twenty years,
imprisonment in Tennessee. The second
year of his confinement he managed to
secrete a pair of the uniform striped pan
falcons of the prison when new suits
were served out. By the most cautious
| and tedious process he contrived to paint
| these a spotless white, so that the prison
| clothes. disappeared under the layer of
paint. The furniture manufactured at
the penitentiary was disposed of by con-
tract to a firm in Nashville, and as the
| manufactured articles accumulated they
were hauled from the prison court in
wagons. These wagons were driven by
TRUSTEES, " or convicts who were granted
considerable freedom for good behavior
! Working at his task of vanishing the fur
niture, Doddridge observed the OPP
portunity, and began to wear the painted
pair of breeches under the prison suit.
This he did for two years and more,
watching eagerly, but never impatiently,
for the opportunity which he knew must
come.
One day there were number of ward
robes to be moved, and Doddridge was
| y
court and loading the wagons. He
watched the chance, and, as the last was
in place, quietly opened the door, and
quick as lightning was inside with the
door closed. There he lay quaking with
doubts as he heard directions given, the
hustle of guards and fellow -convicts, and
then the wagon moved out. In five min
utes he was beyond the prison walls. The
driver of the wagon was rusty, but
Doddridge dared not trust him. Lying on
his back in the wardrobe, he stripped of
his prison jacket and trousers, and re-
tanned his gray wCollen shirt and painted
breeches. Then he cautiously raised the
top of the wardrobe, saw that the driver
was walking along by the horses, and, aS
they passed through unfrequented streets
he clambered out and found himself free
bareheaded, coatless, and in the suburbs
of the city. He hid in stable, however
until night, and then struck out through
alleys for the country.
Luck favored him and he found means
, to get away from the dangerous vicinag
of Nashville. He drifted to Evansville
Ind, and found employment in the st
: Louis and Southeastern railroad as
painter. He lived an honest life for som
months, and allowing his beard to grow
, his face was soon covered with hair
, ]
> affectation of habits, made him fee
l secure against detection. Then the pro
pensity for robbery returned. He ha,
j., already committed murder, and he fel
the fatal compulsion of fate. He gave u
:. his situation at honest labor, and begal
! to look about for field for operations
= He went to Uniontown, KY, and in da
= or two had planned to rob distillery, no
of money, but of whisky. He had dis
covered means to introduce hose fror
,, the roof to the cistern-rOom,n and b
u converting this into siphon he could ex
. tract as much whisky as hecould handle
He returned to Evansville, bought
: small fish boat, three large casks (whic
he arranged ingeniously under the boa
! in the water securely against search) an
u u a confederate. On arriving at Uniontow
\ they were out of ready money, and Will
y waiting to begin operations concluded {
Il rob the store, which proved their ruiz
Z, He was again sent to prison, but says h