New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-14
CRAWLIYG OUT THROUGH A SMALL HOLE
HOW FOUR PRISONERS ESCAPED FROM THE LONG
ISLAND CITY JAIL.

HOW FOUR PRISONERS ESCAPED FROM THE LONG
ISLAND CITY JAIL.
The Queens County Court House attracts the at
tenuon of passengers the Long Island Railroad,
whose tracks lald not TAR from 1t, chleuy
from the strong contrast between the build
ing and the stretch of barren oil waste that sur
rounds It, No tree or building OF any KIND, except
the office OF the City Treasurer, Is TO be seen near IL
he part of the building next to the railroad,
Is uSed the county Jail. Ihe two large cells on
the second hOOr ale reserved for those pLisohefs
whose terms OF imprisonment do noe exceed sixty
days, while muTueTers anu feiOns are confined IN
cells on the basement floor. Yesterday morning,
about O'Clock, vi hen j. W. Murphy, the keeper oi
the prison, eneret the cell 10 the lett or the cOlT
dor on the secOud hOOr he discovered that four OK
the ten prisoners whom be had locked up the night
before gone. One OF the round
had been sawed through and bent upwards leaving
al aperture seven inches WIDE ana twelve ucAes
hlgn through which the Jal-Olrds mad noWn ne
window was fifteen feet from the ground A ladier
which had been seized IN the recent descent on the
pool rooms at Hunters Point had been used by tue
lugItlyes In getting out. once on the gTOuhu
escape was easy he wall about the jail yard con-
sl.t- OF a rotten board fence eight feet high with
stingpeces and up kes at the top to assist anyone
IN clmDiug over. Keeper Murphy, after gazing
over the barren "Ollscape' " so see what ne cOuid
see" turned to the OF the prisoners aud asked
them what had become OF their companions Ihey
piOiesScd not TO nave hcaIQ any hOloo
during the night, and SAID that the escape
was made wnen they were asleep. 1ue
tugItyes were christopher Kunz, age twenty-five,
larceny on september 13; john +. Branck, age
n4ue cen, committed on ; ptember 20 from Long
Island city for 0rty days tor assault and battery
Charles howard, age twenty, sent Tor thirty Gays
from North Hampstead, ON october ., Tor pett
larceny, and julius NOger VINO had been COMM TIED
70. examination by justice DelehantV, OF Long
Island CRY. Inc keeper made haste to inform the
Suerlh, AIOnZO right. and that official spent IS
Cerday III ruitess effort TO discover The escaped
PRISONERS
Yesterday afternoon, when a TRIBUNE reporter
called ne jail, the sheriff preparing TO start
for ms home lie pointed out the various cells ana
explained the method of escape. ILe non BAR was
bent up and the opening looked scarcely laTg1
enough tor small enid 10 crawl snrough. IL
Is "a mystery 10 mC," SAID lie Sheriff. now lneJ
gOt through that mole. Ile German, hunZ, weighs
over 700 pouIuS aud wears No nat IL Is ING
easiest thing IN the world to escape nom TINS ldil
tor aCCOmpuCe on the outside can KIP over JAat
wooden fence and hand the pr.4Onera saw, ana III
tact ne can PIT up the ladder anu 90 the SAVING
himself. 10 uOL see, though, " ny t1ey Wautto 10
escape. They were only III lOr short terms ana hau
nearly served them out that was TIC reason tn9
Otner SIX did not follow them because they Would
rdtuer stay where they are"
haYe there ever been any escapes betOref
"Uh, yes. Last j une four prisoners sawed their
way out Iheu III onern's kuslmOres time some
men confined the IeiOn's cell N the basement
sawed their way Oul. From tine situation OF THESE
cells ~In show you how easy IL IS Tor any ole 70
come 10 tue window and pass nle or saw " d
prisoner"
iue windows of the exercse-roOm,' an apart
ment IN front Of the muTderets cells. are Hush with
TIE ground Like the rest vi the windows, tAty are
Protected by round ZION rods, ABOUT three l1cnee
apart running through transverse non bars twelve
inches apart From Lne WINDOWS across tue - eNer-
clsc-rOou" to the doors OF the small cells Is dis
lance OF ten feet.
You See" SAID Mr. Wright what an easy thing
il WOuld DC for freud tne outside TO pass saw
Iasteued the emu OF long stcn across the eXer-
cIserO0m' aud through the bars Or tne cell TO the
prisoner. The prisoner Is virtually IN direct COM
muuIcatOu with his friend Without. Yet II was 10
thuk OF putting up Il dark window that Is a
small wndON-nere why the Society fOI the Proven
ton OK Cruelty to Animals would DC down Oh Lie,
suppOse"