The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-02
BURGLARS BREAKING JAIL.
WILLIAM PORTER AND JOHN TRYING
our OF THE LAWS CLUTCH.
The strategy by which They Erected Their
Escnpe-Deputy sheriff Evans Actually As
tonIshed-A very Large Reward offered.

Noutaueu--A very hhFtc AcNhfu OueFcus
William Porter and John Irving escaped
yesterday morning from the Raymond street
Jail. Brooklyn. where they have been confined
since their arrest nine months ago. Yesterday
morning at about o'clock, Deputy Sheriff
Evans left the office. and entering the corridor.
opened the massive iron doors OF cells Nos l
and 2. Owing to the intense heat OF the nightthe
cells were like furnaces. The three inmates In
No we're all up at the time and Porter had on his
trousers vest. and shirt. while his companions
were not dressed In No 2. Draper and Wilbour
were sound asleep. the former on the cot and
the latter on the floor mat. Deputy Sheriff
Evans bade them good morning. made some re-
mark about the weather. and then returned
to the Office. locking tho corridor gate behind
him. 1t seems that no had scarcey turned his
back when Porter and Irving. the former wear
ing a white hat and tho latter n cap. aud both
in their shirt sleeves. quietly stepped into the
corridor. and each taking the tin kettle In which
they usually carry the coffee. descended the
stairway leading to the kitchen. in which the
employees were busy preparing the breakfast
for the prisoners.
The middle tier on the north or WiouRhby
street side OF the building is occupied b. the
more important offenders while the lower or
cellar tier and the upper tier are occupied by
the ten days prisoners. There are sixteen cells
on each tier, from any OF which. with ordinary
precauton. II would be next 10 impossible
for a prisoner TO escape. the walls pro-
tectinR them from the yard being built OF
granite and OF great thickness. Several
attempts have been made since the con-
struction OF the building TO break through this
wall. but all have been futile. The second or
main corridor is on the same floor as ;he office.
or the front or Raymond street side OF the jail.
and all th0 separates i from the office is
hallway about ten yards in length, shut out
from the corridor by heavy door OF iron bars.
To the right on entering the corridor is a
small room for the use Of the hellman. On the
left are two stairways. one leading to the upper
corridor and the other TO the lower corridor
and kitchen. the latter being on the cellar floor
above the centre of the building. its grated
windows Ia the rear looking out on the yard
which is reached from the kitchen 10y wide
| WOO len stairway. Cell No was occupied by
Bartlett and Martin, the Planet Mills thieves.
and Porter, while Shang" Draper. Irving
and Martin have been in the jail for
nearly two years. their case having been car
| ried from court 10 court until within n few days.
| when the Court Of Appeals decided 10 give them
| a new trial. Owing TO the miserable accommo-
dation in the jail to poor ventilation IL has been
| usual under each successive admin istaration to
give ng-term inmates some special privi:
| the liberty Of visiting the kitchen occas oually
| Bartlett and Martin. the Planet Mills thieves.
were given these privileges by eX-Shcrin Dag
gett, and they were even allowed 10 go into the
| yard from time to time and breathe a little fresh
| mir. They have not for long time been de-
| barred from going to the kitchen at any time
| they desired. and their visits in that direction
have been frequent OF late, cooking in the cells
| having been entirely suspended since the ad-
vent OF the hot weather.
Porter and Irving after descending the stair
way found the door leading to the wooden
stairway ascending to the Prison yard was
| wide open for the admission OF the fresh
morning air and either taking advAn-
tage OF the favorable opportunity Unexpectedly
presented or carrying out n plan long contem-
| plated. Porter and Irving careessy threw their
kettles on the table and quickly passed through
the door and u the stairs into the yard before
the kitchen man. who was stirring up the coffee
on the fire. noticed their movements.
Once in the yard there was only ono way Of
escape. They stepped briskly across the green
| garden patches TO the wooden shed or stable
| where the horses nre Kept On the south side Of
| the yard. about tity feet from the wagon en-
| trance on Raymond street. They passed through
| the little pathway. through the stable into the
| yard on the south side. whore the building
| operations for the now wing OF the Jail are in
| progress the foundations having been already
| laid. There were two persons employed in the
| stable at the time. and one Of them. a colored
| boy noticed the two men in their shirt sleeves
approaching quickly aud passing into the outer
| yard. but he did not recognize them as prison
| ers. He supposed them 10 bee employees OF the
City Hospital, whose grounds udloin the Jail.
once outside the stahl" gate there was no fur
ther obstacle. the nigh wall or fence on IN" south
side having been torn away when the building
operations commenced. bold dash Of few
yards brought them over the rough ground and
| up the gentle green slope oi the hospital ground.
| and although Henry McCloskey. the watrhman
employed 10y Mr.. Friel. the contractor for the
| new Jail wing. saw them almost as soon as they
| got out Of the stable gHte, and had his suspt-
ciOns at once aroused that something was
| wrong. his attention WAS at that instant di-
verted to a loud rapping on the big wooden
looked around the next moment the
| men were in the act o' climbing the iron fence
separating the hospital grounds from Ray
mond street. and quick as thought they were
on the street. where they were joined by an
other man. who handed each Of them a coat
| He saw the three men run rapidly through
| Raymond street TO Dckalb avenue. down which
| they passed out OF sight The entire escape
| was accomplished in less than three minutes
| Not only were there dccoy knocks On the
wooden gate referred TO. but the bell AT the mai
| door Of the building was rung loudly Just at the
time that Porter ana Irving were making their
| flight The attention of Deputy Sheriff Evans
was thus attracted from his desk in the office
| and he was much surprised on going 10 the
| door To IND that there WAS no one visible out
side. 1t H. therefore probable that Porter and
| Irving had two or three friends outside giving
| them all the MSS istance possible.
| John Cassin. the stabeman WAS the first to
raise an alarm He had allowed the men to
| pass him. and get 20 or 80 Yards away before
| he seemed 10 realize that they were prisoners
| and then he ran into the Office and eXca med
| to Deputy Sheriff Evans Two prisoners
| have broke out; | Just saw them running
| ont OF the stables" Evans ran no stairs
and notified Warden Bryan. who hastily
descended and found that Porter and Irving
were missing. The watchman had mean
| while rushed in and given information as
moment was lost s2crir Rtlev was immel H%1
| diately notified. and in "A few moments
reached the Jail and directed the search. Suut
| Campbell sent general alarm, giving
an accurate description Of Porter and
| Irving, and communicated TO police headquar-
| ters in New York. Sheriff Riley will make a
| sitting investigation No suspicion was ever
entertained for moment that anv OF the
| Patchen avenue burglars or the Planet Mills
| thieves contemplated an attempt at escape
| Porter was certain that he would obtain a new
| trial, and Gen. Tracy, his counsel. was 10 make
| an argument for II stay OF proceedings. when
| Porter would have been called up for sentence
| to-day.
Shangp Draper and the other prisoners
| seemed TO be much astOnished when they had
| heard of Porter and lrving's escape. Draper
| expressed his Indignation over the occurrence
| having promised that under no circumstances
| would he counteuHnce an attempt to break lail.
| POTter's handsome. wife wis frequent visitor
! to tho jail. her last call being on sat
| urdRy afternoon. Sheriff Riley had over
| month ago called the attention Of the
| Board of Supervisors TO the fact that tho Jail
| was Insecure on the south side. and had usked
| for the appointment Of three additional watch
| men. This application WAS referred to the Law
| Committee. who have not so far taken any nc
| ton on IL. As soon he heard of the
| escape he sent for Detective Piukerton
| who holds three warrants for Porters ar
| rest in connection with crimes in this
| city and elsewhere and employed him
on the case and further, in order 10 leave no
effort untred 10 rerHpture the fugtives. offered
Il reward of $4,000 for their arrest or s.. 900 Tor
| either Of them, and he confidently expects 10
| haRg in a. laf 80 a.