The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-09-26

sfmept, which was believed by the people
J the prisoners and jailers, and operated
TO deter the prisoners from making any
attempt 10 break Jail In that direction
But Frank Emory's mind being OF nj
Investigating nature, he set about exam.
lining the floor 10 zee If there really was
two feet of cement under the marble
slabs. His manner of searching fol
weak places was this: lie took n cup OF
water and poured It into the cracks and
found that where there was no cement
IL readily run down and disappeared.
He found a large number of places lin
fact, nearly all over the surface of the
floor, but chose to take up a stone d.
rcctly under the steps that go up to the
\ small hall, where the victuals and other
kthings were passed into the large room
No the prisoners. These steps were
movable and could be easily put back
fpto place, and all seemed as usual.
The digging commenced on Thursday
and continued every day until about
dark, when they were shut up in their
cells. On Sunday, they say, they dug
about five feet down by the side of the
wall, in clay which had been thrown in
iioosely at the time the wall was finished,
Ttutil they found the bottom of the Gel
lar wall. Then they went under the
wall, which was about four inches below
the cellar bottom, having to dig four OF
five feet before they could emerge into
the cellar. They then unlocked the
hatchway door and escaped. IL is evil
dent that the two prisoners who re-
manned were rather too large to 20
through the hole, hence they stayed
back, claiming that their consciences
would not let them escape.
1t has been repeatedly asserted by
Mr.. Trip, who had charge of the lay
ing down of the marble slabs of the
floor, that that part of the Jail was per-
fectly secure, hence, no trouble would
ever occur in that direction, as it was
grouted two feet thick all over the bot
tom with cement and .cobble stone.
The result of an examination shows, as
we have said before, that over the main
part of the bottom there was not over
an inch, and in some places much less
OF cement, laid upon loose loan soil,
and the slabs were of size and thick
ness that could easily be carried about
by one man. BY these representations
the people of the county, who desire
that culprits should be kept safely were
grossly deceived. The sheriff who fol-
lowed Mr.. Trip was also deceived i'm
the security OF the jail The taller, who
had been told of the immense strength
or the floor, never thought il possible
that prisoners could, with small Jack
Knife and short piece of hoop iron, dig
out. But so it was. The present taller
knew nothing of the former digginQs
Until after this occurrence.
\ IL seems that under MIR. Dewey's ad-
n'inistration, digging was commenced
and continued until they filled four bed
ticks, and as the water run into the
trench they were obliged to abandon
the enterprise, and at last the dirt ex-
posed them.
Under Mr.. Trip, stone was raised
and three or four ticks were filled. The
dirt in the ticks was found, but it is
said that the hole where The dirt came
from could not be found until Charley
Price prisoner pointed it out.
1t was currently stated after Emory's
escape, that he was seen at Belden's
Falls fiourishing pistol, and as a proof
of the fact, 1t was reported that EN-
ory's sister, ten years old, on the day
of his escape brought box of grapes
to the Jail, and it was handed in, and of
course the pistol was among them. It'll
was impossible for the jailer to tell the
excited community that Emory's friends
were denied all access to him since his
first escape, and that all that the grape
story could be founded upon, was the
fact that little sister of Emory's came
10 the Jail on the day of his escape and
placed upon our table paper bag hold
ing quart or two, containing eight or
ten large plums and one or two small
stems of grapes, which were taken ont
and placed upon plate and handed in
by our little guest; and in addition, a
pie baked upon tea saucer. So much
tor the grape story. AS it turned out,
Emory or the man who escaped with
him, had no pistol or money.
The escape of prisoners from this Jail
and other places of confinement is an
every day occurrence. Under Mr..
Dewey, who occupied the Jail for over
twenty years, eight prisoners of des-
pcrate character escaped out the door
and were never apprehended.3 Under
Mr.. Trip, six or seven made rush
Tor the door and would have escaped If |
immediate aid had not been given by
the prisoners, who came to the rescue,
and by their persistent action prevented
the escape of batch of notorious Grim
inals, one of which, by strange freak
of jury, received a verdict Of assault
where he shot man with the evident
intent to kill. lie was sent to the work.
house for two years, but escaped in
about three months and is now al large.
These facts are stated that the people
of the county may know the facts and
draw their own conclusions. j. CoBB.