The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-01-15
ESCAPING PRISONERS AND THE
OFFICERS.

The Express is very severe IN It's
comments upon what it terms the
carelessness of the Travis county jailer
in allowing the escape of Boyce. On
the other hand, it is matter of con-
graduation that some well executed
plan for this sort of escape has not oc-
CURED before. In all the history of
our county prison this is the first case
of such nature that has transpired,
aud with a Jail in which there
are always seventy to ninety des-
perste prisoners, gathered from
everywhere, it Is simply matter Of
wonder, and thing of credit
to the management of our prison that
no such plan has ever before sue
ceeded. TIE escape of prisoners by
the exercise of violence is no uncom-
mon occurrence, and for one the
STATESMAN would be more inclined to
look generously upon the act of the
guard in this instance than otherwise.
There is constant vigilance at the por-
tai of this prison. To visit it re-
minds one of the security OF
Bastile, and yet from even
such q prison escapes were made.
Sheriff Corwin and his guards are ever
vigilant. Within fYe years thousands
of people have been permitted to pass
in snd out of this Jail without any
evil results Transporting therefrom. Dis
tressed wives and mothers and daugh-
ters constantly visa this Travis county
jail, and every other prison in civilized
communities, to aGmlnis'e er to the COM
forts of incsrcerated friends. To deny
such people admission under all cir
cumstances would be an exercise of
cruelty that would not be tolerated
anywhere in this country, and an in
dignant public would revolt against
such inhunan injustice. To suspect
every friend of prisoner with plsulng
escape would be the utmost intoller-
ance, and would lead either to dis
graceful surveillance or to brutality. A
wife comes to the Jaiier with basket
of clean clothing and some little dele
cacies for her husband, aud wishes 10
spend part of Sunday with him. She
has come hundred miles to visit him,
and humanity dictates soquiescence.
The wife goes into the prison with
deadly weapon hidden beneath her
clothing, the plan is perfected, and the
husband and wife together approach
the prison door apparently to bid each
other a fond farewell. The climax is
reached and the guard must surely die,
the prisoner nevertheless escaping, or
he must purchase life by submission.
There is but one alternative, and the
bold desperate tlses-one man in five
years escaped, where 1000 have been
imprisoned. The Express views the
case differently. 1t says:
The guard at the Austin Jail may
have been honest enough in intention,
but that he allowed six-shooter to be
carried into the Ill by Mrs. Boyce
there can be no doubt, and the result
is the same as thought he were q will
ing party to the escape. The bold
highwayman is at large, and the
guard is responsible for the fact,
whether lnHocently or otherwise mat
ters very little 10 the, people who paid
immense sums of money to place
the prisoner ia that Jail un-
der sentence, and who paid that
guard for keeping him there.
In all cases of this kind no plea of
carelessness should be entertained. The
same penalty should ttach to the
offense of allowing prlsS1eTs to escape
through carelessness as attached to
that of willfullY assistlnAkor conniving
at the escape of prisoner The guards
duty is plain, and he puld know,
when placed on duty, ths, prison ar
escapes through his act, ether it be
the result or carelessness or lllful con-
nivance, the punishment ill be the
same, and If that punishmG1t conpell-
ed the guard to take the pl s and per
form the penalty of the es Nped pris-
oner there would be no de- Hction of
duty. Had that been thet' T, Mrs.
Boyce would never have su eded in
getting deadly weapon intGVthe Aus
tin jail, and Rube Boyce build not
now be again upon the hi Iwsy, a
terror to peaceaDle citizens id neigh
borhoods he may be supposedly TO ire
quent.