Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-05-19
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
Special Correspondence.
New YORK, May II, 1875

The most noteworthy of recent devel-
Opments in spiritualistic matters is now
agitating this city. Mr.. Henry Riddle,
at present and for number of years
past Superintendent of Public Schools
in New York, an educated and able
man, and highly respected official, has
published book on Spiritual Com
munications," mainly filled with alleg-
ed messages from the spirit world,
indited through the mediumship of Mr..
Riddles own children. Among the
number of the lllustrious departed who.
according to the work mentioned, have
more recently chosen this means of
communicating with world which they
have forever abandoned, are Moses, Plus
TX, Archbishop Hughes, Sir Isaac
Newton, Byron, Shelley, Edgar A. Poe,
A. T. Stewart, the first Napoleon, George
Washington, and small host of other
celebrities, ancient and modern. The
language used by all the contributors to
this extraordinary symposium is suspi-
ciously similar in style and oracular
Stiffness, and is the sheerest rubbish
from beginning to end. The book would
have attracted no attention without the
endorsement of so prominent a man /;
but as it is the papers have devoted
columns to the publication of extracts
and reviews. The episode is uniformly
regretted as indicating so complete a
halluncination of Mr.. Riddle that it
will probably end in his resignation
from post which he has filled with
great ability and acceptance.
In addition to this curious outbreak
we have another and different subject Of
wonderment and conversation in the
shape of the most brilliant jail breaking
exploit known to recent history. One
Leary, more Familiarity known by the
sanguinary soubriquet of Red" Leary
has been for some time an inmate Of
Ludlow. street Jail, which 1t will re-
membered was the last residence of VIM
M. Tweed, the reason being his alleged
completely in the great Northampton
bank robbery of a few years ago. Or
Wednesday night messenger from tn,
Jail rushed breathless into the Contra
Police Office, and startled its occupant
by announcing the escape of the motto
rious prisoner. Since that time tn
"6nest police in the world have beef
rushing wildly about, trying to recove
the lost sheep, but up to this writin
they have only great expectations" O
, success.
| After the discovery of the escape, in
vestigation of its methods were at ono
undertaken and the mystery was quick
= ly solved. In closet at the end of on
5 of the prison corridors was found jag
ged opening in the solid wall of tn
D building. which being followed up. wa
q seen to lead to fireplace in a a ROOF
e on the fifth floor of an adjoining ten'
: ment house, and then the secret wa
e out. 1t seems that Leary's friends ha
!, hired the room in the tenement houi
: and slowly and by dint of enormo,
i labor succeed in piercing their wa
e through four and one-half feet of soil
/, brickwork to the closet before referrt
b to. The work must have occupied mar
e days and nights, and had of course to
Is conducted with the greatest silence al
d caution. Leary was daily visited
/" his wife. and was thus kept apprised
le the progress of his deliverers. He kne
o. just when to expect the completion
lg their task. and at the appointed no
d, sauntered down the corridor, as be W
IN free to do, and into the closet. All
one layer of bricks having been remov