New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-26
TRYING TO BREAK JAIL.

REILLY AND TUE PRISON OFFICIALS
O,e of the keepers at Ludlow street Jan
discovered Yesterday that bar OF WINDOW
leaking out on the prison-yard had been sa"n
nearly in two. A little later 1t was iouhu
that The lock of cell door of a prisoner had
been pickcd. The prison officials believe that
the connterfeiters confined III the jail hoped 10
make their escape in the same manner us
those who got away on November l.
DETAILS OF THE ATTEMPTED ESCAPE.
Another attempt has been made to escape from
Ludlow Street Jail. This time. fortunately, the
effort was unsuccessful. On Saturday mormne
November 1. James Kelly. alias Panl stureis' VINO
WAS convicted OF passing counterfeit notes on the
National Bank Of Troy. aud sentenced TO nve years
imprisonment: Edward RYAN. convicted oil PASSING
counterfeit trade dollars. and sentence" LOT iour
wears; William MCGEE for similar offence sent
enced for three years. and Michael Hickey All"
Thomas Mccarthy. also convicted of dealing III
counterfeit money. and sentenced ior TWO
years each. escaped from the jail by
saving asunder the bars of a window opening from
corridor on the third hpor OF the east side OF Inc
i,1 and looking into the court-yard. IL is known
in the prison rs - the alley" The prisoners i""-
cred themselves To the GROUND by means OF rope
A wall twelve fee, in height and surrounded by an
iroa railing eighteen feet in height. was sealed py
four Of the men. Hickey Tell WHO "t'c"P''"S W
climb the railing aud was badly hurt that lie
was unable to join his companions, who paSSe"
tbr,uoh the hallway OF one OF the adjacent tcne-
,ncnf- houses and got away. George Williams M
o,her woll-kuowa counterei;er, on the h'ght Oh
thc escape occupied cell No. &C. on the Essex
Market side He had succeeded IN cutting one oar
Of his cell but having been removed from ahothT
cell on tie prcvious day, had not time to comp'e'e
his work and join his eonfederates IN the corri"or
below.
Among those now confined in the jail are Frank
C,uf alas Bennett convicted Of passing counterfeit
$50 notes: George Williams convicted of passing
$50 notes; Matthew Rooney, II saloon keeper III
Ilevenih-avcand Forty -tirst-st; Samuel SWIM ails
JOAN Casey. James Burns and James CuIr4e All
are charged vita dealing IN counterfeit MONEY;
N,la,ns Is one of the most notorious of the gang OF
counfrricteTs who have been engaged Tor soihe
time IN circulating counterfeit notes ana NofillsSs
Ira e dollars. lie il to be taken before Judge
Benedict in the criminal branch OF the hitei Nt?s
Circuit court to-day for sentence I!u.' ~ 'Ie tiIe
Of his arrest, had M ms poSs'ss'"" Ti,O7' ia
counferfolt - notes. Ro0ncy's saloon, AZ Eleventh.
ave and Fort y-rSt-St.. IS alleged 70 have been or
LONG time the resort of counierieltefs, ana II ;'N
serted Ila much of the counterfeit coin and notes
circulated in this city and IFS vicinity had been dis
ubIted from his place.
STARTLING DISCOVERIES IL THE JAIL
One of the watch ien IN the Jail yesterday mora
inc found small TIM can containing butter. and
lu,op of calored putty on the ledge of the window
through which the prisoners made their escape on
November /. His suspicious were excited ana he
at once informed acting Warden Fitzslnmons The
window was Examined closely. an one ga the Dars
WIS found to have been sawn nearly IN TWO. ne
filings had bsen removed and the Opening hNeu
VITA putty aud dirt IL was apparent that a very
lne saw had been used for the bladeoi penkhlie
cOuld hardly he inserted IN the opening he as
OF the window Is OF an men ia thichuess'
The bar operated On is not quite sawn througn;
Two or three more strokes Ol the saw only wOu!u
be needed To sever VI. -
Soon aticrHari one of the keepers, while engaged
T.-..l l. fu-f tn "a
that the door OF Wliams's cell was unlocked Inc
lock had evidently been picked Williams occupies
cell No. 30 On what Is known as the United states
tirrr ON The third floor and facing Essex Market
alley looking south. This discovery was naturally
deemed alarming taken III connection Win lne
finding OF tire sawn bar in the window looking out
Ever since the escape of the prisoners on Novem
Der !, Shcr. fl Reilly has deemed the alley unsafe
and 10 prisoners OF Importance have been l0dged h
the cells facing IT, For greater security, tue coun-
tcrfeters have been put IN the cells looking out on
ne corridor on the second floor OF the jail, ana
facing Ludlow-st These cells are strong
nui well made and the corridor is eli scd by means
OF an lron atteC-w0rk gate on the outside OF which
is Keeper or wstcdmau, Hno makes thc iouh1 OF
this pri of the prson met HSSuP n, ecu ha No
very boistcrous. singing Marching Through
Georgia." and other songs. IN which he was joined
Was contrary to the prison rules; and
he was ordered to stop. He detantly re;
nut him in tie alley." Some OF the cells III
:thc alley" are uncomfortable and prisoners were
formerly placed in them "a means al punlShmeht
i Is conjeclurcd that Bsnnetrs unruly conduct and
especially his declaration that no one could pat
him IN the alley" were for the purpose OF piocur-
Ing his removal to OF these cells from when he
could readily reach the window with the sawi
bar. To get to this window from the cor
ridor where tho members OF the cOu1-
ierfcitng gang, with the exception OF Williams,
are now confined they would have 10 traverse Two
corridors besides the one which their cells face
Williams after emerging bis corridor. would
have TO descend flight OF stars ony 10 ie"ch Tic
Ibat there was preconcerted plan for another at
teup az escape 1V all those belonging To the gang OF
couteIfcltciS Sheriff Reilly and Actiug warden iltZ
summons feel certain. But the question VINO could
have sewn the window bar Is mystery. IL might
DO ,>ibls have been done during the day, while Inc
irsoners were taking the Two hours exercise al
lowed tbcai by order OF DIR. Hogan the physician IN
charge But the chances of discovery would have
beeu 40 great that this deemed exceedingly
doubtful That 10 WAS done by some one on
the inside Is almost certain, n. Sou'e
negieciIng To pay mil fines, etc., bu; they have
nothing III common with those charged with the
crayer class Of crimes. The matter IL being tof-
,upllv investigated by sheriff Reilly and The prison
officials Mcanwhi the shcnu has employed an
extra fo,ce OF men, and the PRISON VIII he securely
guarded until the SncrlH tcrns III over 10 Ills sue
ccssoI January i.
SUGGESTIONS III Tile SHERIFF..
SEcriA Reilly said yesterday that the prison is
very Insecure. The escape on November 1 proved
how easily men skilled in undertaking could ge:
avay The wall aud fence in the rear of the prison
ward while intended 10 prevent escape, do not
accomplish this. CrOss-bars and supports which
give strength 10 the railing, really enable anyone
possessed OF strength and agility to scale Ii
with case. After passing tie fence, the fug-
lives can descend without difficulty TO the yard of
the tenement houses ADJOINING aud passing through
a hall eau gain the street. The only way that
canes can be prevented, the Sheriff said is by
largely increasing the number Of keepers aud
watcIsneu. ami o, course everything will depend