The New York herald., 1879-08-11
A BOLD RESCUE.


SIX MEN UPSET GUARDBoAr OFF BLACK
WELLS ISLAND AND RELEASE THE CONVICT
RowERs.
The meagre details of daring and successful res-
cue of two Blackwel's Island convicts reached
PolicclHeadquarter last night The despatch stated
that six men in rowboat had attacked and
upset guardboat No. and rescued two convict
oarsmen while the boat doing patrol duty
off the foot of Seventy-sixth street. The
information came from the Twenty-eighth precinct
station house. where the facts reported by Ste
phen Kelly the keeper, who had charge of the boat.
The two convicts in the boat we're Dennis Gillespie
and John Bren. Kelly sat at the tiller and steered
while they piled the oars. In his belt he carried q
revolver, and between his knees loaded carbine
rested. They had been patrol during most
OF the afternoon, and he had suspicion
that anything was wrong. scheme foot
however, the developments Of which proved aston
ishng to him. When off East Seventy-sixth street
about midway between the New York and Back
wells Island shores. at half-past i've o'clock
the keeper, Kelly, noticed rowboat. in
which there were Elk men. approaching.
Believing. they were out for pleasure he
paid no attention to their coming until they were
close at hand. When they were but few feet away
rules tor the patrol boat to touch or communicate
with shore with any other boat. Before he fairly
next moment had overturned his boat The
two convicts, who evidently were aware
of the an bSa of tnsr I sns
aud taken board. Kelly's carbine
went to the bottom of the river. and he had all
he could do to cling to the keel of his overturned
boat he could not use his revolver While he was
thus hanging in the boat one Of the convict's
friends reached out from the other boat and
took his revolver from his belt. leaving him
trely unarmed The rescuers and the rescued, who
appeared eated their success. rowed of toward
Ne
hanging for dear life to the boat unable to do any
thing to interrupt the prisoners escape.
KELLY IN PURSUIT.
He shouted Justify and was taken up
in about twenty @ vons minutes t;s by ." rOwboas
the foot of East Ssventy-ffth street. He
ran. dripping wet to the Twentyeighth precinct
his adventure to Captain Tuner A general alarm
sent out describing the en and calling for their
arrest. Dennis Gillespie is twenty-four years old.
five feet inches in height has light brown hair
and complexion and blue eyes, He had been on the
Island two three times and was last convicted OF
petit larceny His sentence for six months
and the time would have expired in two
weeks. His companion. John U'Brien. was also
serving u six months sentence for assault and
battery and had two months service remaining due
the county. He is about twenty seven years old.
five feet nine inches in height, and has light hair
and complexion and blue eyes. O'Brien IL well
known to the police of the Fourth precinct, where
he lived while in the city. Gillespies haunts are
In the Fourteenth precinct. After he had mado
his report the police Kelly returned to the
Island and acquainted Warden Fox with what had
occurred. Inc warden INFORMED hlul tnat ne na0
neglected his duty in allowing the rowboat to ap-
proach him. aud ordered his suspension. Keepers
Foy and Bergen. who are well acquainted Nth the
escaped convicts, came to the city with Kelly, and
were busy last night securing the most likely places
their would seek harbor. Gillespie and
OBren both in garb when the rescue took
place. II was broad daylight at the time. and the
scene must have been witnessed from the shore.
| How they supplied with the clothing which
| must have been furnished i'll place of the prison
| stripes is matter of surprise. 1t is more than
likely the clothing was in the boat or in waiting Cor
| them at some point along shore.
Escapes from Blackwell's Island not unfre.
quent. but nothing of so daring character ss the
occurrence of yesterday has been attempted before.
A few months ago a convict oarsman sprang from .
guard boat and succeeded in swimming ashore. ESCAPE
ing the shots the guard fired ut him. He retaken
in a few hours in lot where he dsrobing to
put civilians clothing which friend had in
waiting for him. The keepers who were in search
OF the escaped men were confident Of returning
them to the Island inside of twenty-fonr hours.