New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-06
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
TRYING TO BREAK JAIL.

TRYING To BhEAh JAIL
RKrNHARDT, THE MURDERER. AND ANOTHER Phio-
soSER PLAN AN rscApE-THE ATTEMPT TH"AhIhD'
daring attempt to escape from jail occurred on
Fridav night at Richmond, Staten Island; II sue
cessfai. IL would have given liberty 10 two des-
perate crimnalsLEdward he,an aTo and James
McOuirk who was arrested recently Ior I nIuIgah!e
To TRIBUNE reporter Mr.. Common the o tt =,
Richmond County, gave the following iao'S ~
regard to the natter -,. :;
al had suspected that something unusual was IN
progress, ~ Reinhardt and McQuirk LOT several
weeks had 6een unusually quiet. did not eXpecIt
ANYTHING like what has taken place, however, put
placed an extra guard them, with orders to keep
q strict watch. But about week ago. as noIn anRg
had been discovered, took away the extra guard:
About IL o'clock Friday night, as one OF the keepGs
was standing at the upper end Oh 9 III The lower
endl he noticed bright flash OF llght. foT =
minute he was at a loss to know what u was, puU
he concluded that It came Through nd 'n of the cor
ridor. AS he stood watching for q monehI In Lnq
fash occurred again. and this time he notlGeo tnao
from the lefthand side of the hall near one OF the
cells. He walked softly down the hail; ana nis-
covered that it was the reflection OF hand glass gas
which Reinhardt had used for the purpose OF md
INC ont. as was afterward discovered; whether
there were any keepers i'll the hall. The keeper
Immediately aroused his fellOw-l eepers and oegan
q strict search. Next to Reinhardts cell, and be-
tween it and McQuirks was cell Whlc d on ac
count Of its ssng TSak s@G men had bored holes
through the walls adjoining this cell-each Oh
which was eighteen inches thick-large enough 70
work they had carefully taken off the paper IN
fbeiracells and whenever their work was lthrougn
they replaced this so that It required more tl an
ordinary glance to discover their work. The refuse
mortar they stuffed in their mattresses ana the
bricks were carefully slowed between the beds
and the sSs FngE were ce was unused and
dark no notice would DO taken OF the hole III tle
wall There is all the cells except the unused is
one an apparatus TO prevent the picking or locks.
This tbev were aware of and in order to effect their
escape their only hope was to pick the 9ek OF t1s
unused cell. l found this morning IN RelnnarGts
cell q kew Which he had made, and by which they
opencd the door of the unused CELL 1t was dlscOv-
cred that McQuirk had passed through the 6oor'
hardt who was to effect his escape as soon as OPP
portunity offered. The plan was evidently TOR for
signal to Reinhardt. McQuirk was found in the
second story After we had secured our men we
searched them, and found three or four small saws
The kew which Mr.. Connor mentioned was made
from refuse tin, picked up probably IN t1e eatllg
rcO or from TIN plate Inc IA hana aGt Tcb Went
into the lock was strengthened by pits OF leau
rveted by pins Mr.. Conner showed che reporter gpd
IDENTIFY been unable to send it in any way, and so
had Kept it. The following is an exact copy:
ges 5sss p 90 s M%SS to eHt
Be Helped it looks though had Not one friend an IN
sns S Sp hea SSf ngs so and
they W4ll am q shamed OF My SELF TOR Staylng SO
it know can trust you But stu its Better to put
YOU on your Guard My dear Wife If should get away
Safe will telegraph to Billy Gallagher and de
viii Bring II to you My Sweetest pet you
will Hear from Ne often as can write so do not De
uneasy about Me, that is all have to Say at present
Except to pray god to Bless aud protect you my dear
and loving wife, from your Ever loving aud affection
ate But Heart Broken Husband JAMES MCQuIRA
BY BY BY Mamie
On the last page was communication which was
evidently written later; it was dated June 2, and
in II Mc0uirk spoke of "getting square" with his
mother for something she had done to his wife;
Sheriff Conner said that he was at loss to know
how any communication could have been brought
about as the Fprisoners, except on rare occasions
were not allowed to have any communication with
McOulrk's wife twas. He supposes Ithat the lsaws
which were found on McQuirk were given to him
by a man who presented himself to Mr.. Conner as u
relative of McQuiIk and was allowed to see him;
The two prisoners have been heavily ironed, and
placed in dark cells.