The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-07

The Escape Of Elihu Gregg. Condemned
10 Death, from the Preston County,
West Virginia, Jail.
wayneshurg Republican.
The history Of Gregg's original arrest
upon suspicion OF firing the Klngwood
Jail, and his trial and conviction, has been
made public, and Of these events the pub.
lie is sufficiently well informed, perhaps.
It NAV, however, be not out OF place 10
say that the old man ailirms that he Is in.
nocent of tho crime, and that he was ar
rested in Fayette county and forcibly ia,
ken into West Virginia by the officers Of
that State in disregard Of any process OF
law. Ills late arrest, the requisition on
the Governor, his Exceilency's order OF
rendition and the writ OF habcas corpus
issued out Of the Greene County Court,
by which he is still retained in our Jail
and out OF the clutches OF the West Nir-
GINA hangman, have invested the subject
with renewed interest, and last week our
reporter visited the old gentleman in his
cell and learned from his own lips the fol-
lowing interesting details:
After conversing with him in n general
way for few moments, our reporter ask
ed him il lie would have any objection to
making public the facts connected with
his escape. Gregg said he had nothing to
conceal, and freely and frankly proceeded
to unbosom himself: ~ was confined In
the Preston county Jail, in all seven
months. Four monthsaiter that time was
ironed and chained to. the floor like u
brute. In the same cell with me, was a
young man by the name OF Bias. Simpson,
a good hearted fellow, confined for burg
larizing dry goods store. HO says the
man owed him and wouldn't pay him.
And he only took what justly belonged to
him-nothing more. ], as Is well known,
was there, after my conviction, under the
sentence OF death, and You know man
will do almost anything TO sace lis llfe,
and cherished the hope OF getting out
some way, and conceived q plan, but |
had to wait till cold weather before ]
could put It into execution.
Sometime in the month OF November,
when it became cold enough to make it
necessary to keep FIRE in our cell, | began
10 develop my plan oil escape. With q hot
poker, l burned Off one Of the sleepers Of
the floor, they being to close together to
admit my person between them. To0void
detection from the smoke issuing out the
window, my partner stood at tho window
and famed the smoke back and kept it in
the cell. And 10 account for any smell o.
smoke that might be detected, we had
procured piece OF board through the as
sistance OF Sam Smith, a crazy fellow, who
was frequently in the corridor of the Jail
This we would stick In tho fire whenever
anybody came about. BY using the pokel
as a lever, pried one OF the heavy floor
| ing boards loose, which permitted the
sleeper had burned off to drop down
BY this means got under the floor. ThiI
accomplished, | and my fellow prisoner
re.arranged the floor so that it could DO re
placed without breeding suspicition.
It may BIO proper here to say that dur
ling my confinement in the Jail, | hat
made friends, OF tho Jailor's children VIII
we're frequently admitted to my coll Il
converse with me. Between the floor ant
the ground it was about two feet. ! tount
under tho floor the handle Of m old fry
ing pan about three feet long, sharpenel
at one end, which I afterwards learnet
had been used by a former prisoner in tn
vain endeayor 10 dig through the wall
With this instrument accomplished on
escape. ! began by digging back AM
down. Had TO DO my work all dprinI
daylight to prevent detection, And Il
uyoid being discovered by tho children
figure representing my person was mad
out OF my saddle-bags, coat and hat an
laid in the bed and they were made TO be
lieye that ! was in bed asleep; and nc
Wishing to disturb me, they would retire
Tie Jail walls arc Of stone three fee
thick. Simpson kept guqrll while va
digging. We had signals to give ygrpinI
up6n The approach Of amy one. When III
turnkey Eas approaching, two knocks vi
\ on The lIoor any other ollicar, ono KNOCK
II found the dirt easily loospnea Mp Wit
NV digger. and ] scratched It buck aud OF
with my hands; tolnd the lolpd1g9tlo9
10 be IS inches below tho slria6e and hnl
In with heavy stone. by digging nndt
and using tho poker as q pry, ! removed
portion Of the wall, but with great dltiicu
". On the stl day after my labor begal
!. | i was f.heered by the issue Of daylight int
nv trench fsoEl outside the wall. ! I'll
ished the Job about two e'Gioak +. Nh wei
back into my cell, replaced the floor an
> sprinkled the cracks over with ashes as v
Ilad done before every time II was take
! IN and Yeplared. My greatest difficult
: n engineering tho agRaYAton was 4
!. avoid contact with q stand OIL bees III
was located on that side OF the jail again
!. the wall. From friend Of SIMPSONS vi
I Visited him, We learned rs pxa0t logaIlo
q which only allowed mo tllree loellstSes