Morning journal and courier., 1880-11-27
Escape From the Insane Asylum
SyIvinn Delanet Swings Himself Out of
 a Window and Syvims Safely Away
 From Wards IsIa nd in the Night.

SyIvian DelaneI Swings Himself Out of Window and swims. Safely Away
 From Wards IsIa nd in the Night.
 From the New York HeraldI
 Sylvian Delanet, a Frenchman, escaped from the lunatic asylum on Wards Island re- gently during the night in a style that is rather romantic and particularly French. He was formerly butler, and for his persistent persecution of lady of this city, and threats against the safety of her family, he was com mitted and recommitted to the keepers of the insane several times within the past two years His last commitment was on the 23d of June, when Judge Donohue, before whom he had been brought upon writ of h06eGs corpus, decided that he should remain in the asylum until either discharged or cured. De- Janet decided otherwise. His keepers soon discovered that he meditated an escape, and he was kept under more than usual surveil lance One day they found the screws had beenItaken outzof his window bars, and on another occasion he had secreted some extra blankets in his room. Until lately the watch man made rule of looking in upon him every half hour during the night. This he did on the night of his escape, even going into his room every half hour up to half past ? o'clock At that hour Delanet appeared to be sleeping The watchman returned at o'clock and Delanet was gone. His clothes were lying in their usual place, but the bed was empty the window was open and the bars were of. An alarm was given and search continued for two hours afterward, but he had made clean escape.
 SWIMMING LITTLE HELL CATE
 On the sunken meadows, where the wrecked Seawanhaka lies, 8 number of men had been employed removing her machinery to the ferryboat Chancellor Livingston. The place is divided from Wards Island by one of the most perilous currents known in New York harbor-so it's name, Little Hell Gate, would imply. To the amazement of these workmen, especially those who had watched through the night, man wrapped only in blanket crawled out of one of the Seawanha- ka boilers with the dawn of an October day. It was Sy1vian Delanet, who went on board the ferryboat and successfully appealed for some clothing and something to eat. The owner of the wreck, Matthew H. Gregory was surprised when he came to the scene later on to find the Frenchman swinging sledge with the rest of his men. and acting as If he rather considered it privilege. Delanet is of good appearance, apparently thirty-fve or thereabouts, and speaks English huently. He told Mir. Gregory how he came to be in- carcerated and how he escaped. He said he had forced the bars of bis window, which was two stories from the ground, then lowered himself by means of his bed cloth ing, which he tied together in strips. He wrapped himself in 8 single blanket-that being all he dared to take with him-and af- ter waiting for the watchman to pass him in the yard, he managed to open the lock of the gate with nail. He passed cautiously by the other buildings on the island and down to the north shore, where he could see the lights on the ferryboat. He tied the blanket over the top of his head and plunged into the strong current of Little Hell Gate. Mir. Gregory expressed his surprise at such an undertaking in the middle of dark night, to which Delanet simply responded that he was a good swimmer. He reached the oppo-