Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-05-10
"Rcd" Leary's Escape.

The following is an account of the escape
Of this notorious criminal from Ludlow street
Jail New York, last Wednesday evening
In the Ludlow street prison, Lcary's
friends succeeded in making him very COM
Portable, and getting him many unusual pr'i
leges. He was allowed to r, main out of hi,
cell until o.30 O'Clock at night, ami To cN-
crci>c in the corridor or on an, of the tiers.
Adjoining the Jail building is a large five
story double tenement building, Owned by
Henry Lawrence. of No. }21 81 Dome street.
This building is new, and of sui stantiai con-
struction The janitors of tie house are
John {. II. Groctsenman, and Rachael, his
wife, The tenement is of nearly the same
height a. the Jail. The walls ct the former
are next the walls of the latter On the tor
floor of the tenement is suite of rooms
consisting of hall room on the front and
two adjoining rooms, one alongside the hail
room, and the other east of that. The na0r
Of these rooms is three and one-half feet
higher than that of the second tier Of the cell.
of the Jail. In the middle of the lall room
is a Fireplace, with good screen. The fire.
place faces the middle Of that part of the
northern wall Of the Jail which lies between
the second tier Of cells and the Ludlow street
wall. On April - n woman. who answers
the description of Lcary's wife, called on
Mrs. Groctschinan and leased the rooms,
giving the name of Mrs. Meyers. Next day
youger-looking woman moved in with
load Of HOUSEHOLD furniture. She arranged
her rooms in Il neat way and began house
keeping alone. She kept to her apartments
and received no callers until last Saturday
Then two men were seen going into her
rooms. No one saw them leave.
At 1870 o'clock Valentine Wendell the
night Waterman of Ludlow Street Jail, in
formed Warden Bernerd Fiizsimmons that
Leary was missing Officer Arnold, of the
Tenth Precinct who was on post at the time,
was notified. and he communicated the news
TO Capt. Allaire, and general alarm was
sent out. Officer Arnold j. positive about the
time, and says the Jail officers told him at
o'clock that 10 minutes before that time
Lcary had escaped. An examination was
made. 1t was found that the wall of the ten
ement and that of the Jail. altogether about
three and one-half feet thick had been cut
through from the hall room of the former
building. An aperture about two feet high
AMI two and one-half feet wide had
thus been opened into water-closet at the
northern end OF the second tier of the
prison. In the hall room i cupboard with
bricks and mortar and covered up with car
pet. malet and other burglars tools were
found on the floor of the room. with two pil-
lows, some carpet, putty, and oil. The brick
had been carefully removed from the wall one
by one. until but single thickness remained
in the Jail wall.
Leary must have been carefully posted, and
at an agreed time, must have pushed in the
single layer OF bricks. This is shown by the
appearance of the aperture. His friend.
were waiting for him. and, as soon as he ap-
peared. they gave him the end of rope. and
dragged him into the hail room They left
this rope behind them in the Fireplace
The night Waterman Of the Jail insists that
he saw l.eary at 10 10 +. NJ and discovered
his escape at 10 30. Men who stood in front
OF lager beer saloon on the ground floor Of
the tenement between 80 and IL are conf
dent that no man passed ont of that house
during that time. and Mr. Menken is positive
IN his statement As to the time he met the
three men. Mrs. Leary visited her husband
Yesterday at 3 o'clock, and remained with
him I'LL IN the evening. "Eph' Holland.
the 'lncinnati gambler, has also been fire.
quent visitor to him. Besides the burgar's
tools found in the tenelnent-hause was half "A
pound of pepper kept ready by the diggers
70 throw into the eyes of any person besides
Leary who might break the wall and appear to
them. The wall Of the Jail was easily worked
as ITS middle part appears to be made Of brick,
land more like rubble than anything else
Red Leary gets the first part of his name
from his red hair, face and beard. lie was "A
member OF the gang of bank burglars which
included Robert Scott, James Dunlap. Will
nam Conners, who escaped from Ludlow
Street Jail two years ago and who in thi, wav
caused the discharge by the Sheriff of two of
the Jail officials who were suspected of con
niving at his escape; William d. Edison. the
safe-lock expert; George Miles and James
| Brady. Ii is said that he and Scotts wife
are the only two persons who know where the