The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-06-28
IA IIIsIoRIjc /, ROBBERY.
The PcrpeirntorSH Released after Seve
e -.-l-L Van ~ fas, a., snas,f ~. y.

The rerpetrnt0rS Released after Seven
Years, Confinement. X II
Al N. Page, the, hero Of the great Lowndcs
bond robbery, at Clarkburg, about eight
years ngo, where he succeeded In getting
possession OF about 800, 900 In money, bonds
and other securities, was discharged from
tho State prison nt Moundsyille yesterduy,
after serving SIX years: and Sgi days, his
sentence being for term OF eight Yeas.
After tho robbery Page went TO Ohio, and
In one OF the inland cities OF
that State purchased n saloon, which he
Chilcothe saloons, fast horses, fast women
and fast young men who were but too will.
Ing TO join him In his extrayagant sprees, he
| footing all the bills, .oon Sltiated, and he
sold out, or gave away his saloon, disposed OF
horses and carriages and went TO Cincinnati,
where after u short stay no was arrested, and
brought back TO Harrison county for trial,
| Page claims that MIR Lowndcs did not net III
good faith with him; that he promised that
| II Page, would reveal the place where the
bonds and securities were hidden, q great
part OF them yet being safely concealed,
where rs Page claims no mortal man could,
without instructions from him, ever discover
them, that Lowndes would use his In,
iluence towards securing light sentence.
70 this propositlun, after some deliberatiOn,
Pagc agreed. and gave the proper directions,
by which the bonds were recovered. Ills
story Is that Mr; Lowndes not only failed to
perform his part Of tho contract, bnt pros.
ecuted the case agajnstIlm with all the vim.
dlctiveness possible, md us n result he was
sentenced TO the State prison for the afore.
said term Of eight years, receiving his sen.
fence, June 81, 1875. and arrived at the prison
on tho 9Th, seven years, lacking one day.
from the date OF his discharge. Shortly after
his arrival nj the prison he made an attempt
TO scspe by wfenching or some Iron bars
that served as grating to an opening In the
stone floor OF the water closets ut the eastern
wall OF the prison enclosure, and crawling
through into the covered sewer leading under
the wall, and 10 mnrsh and ravine In I'M
adjoining field. Before entering the sewer
he had supplied himself with an extrn suit Of
clothes and u small steel pinch bar" After
making his way for some distance through
the n0ts0mc filth with which the sewer was
partly filled, aud gaining u point outside the
wal his further progress was checked by ar
irving ut place where the sewer had partly
cavcd In. The sewer was OF brick and the
quarters being SO close and limited, and
the foul gases having nearly overcome
him, he was unable 10 make any effort
toward etiecting an escape through the open.
ing Of the sewer, and was barely able to
make his why back TO the opening at the wa.
ter closets. The scwer near where he was
brought 10 stop was so small that list was
unable TO turn around, and hO was COMPEL.
ed 10 "craw fish" n considerable distance. BY
this timo he had become so exhausted that
It was only by almost superhumanI eiIorts
that no was enabled to keep his head above
The nth, and prevent n horri ble death.
Meanwhile he Ind been missed from
the yard, and the removal OF the bars soon
made known to the officers hcmeans Of his
exit Armed guards were Immediately
sent out along the line and to the mouth
OF the sewer, SO that even II he Ind been able
TO dig out or pass through the sewer, he
a horrible plight, and one OF the worst dis
gust-d prisoners ever seen. He afterwards
made several attempts TO escape. or prepara.
tons for escaping, oil OF which, however,
were discovered before he attempted 10 put
them into execution. ts.=l', sis
A few years ago he addressed n
most huching.appcal to Mr.. Lowndes, beg
ging him 10 use his powerful influence In Sc.
curing u pardon. To this appeal no attention
was paid, after which he appeared to resign
himself To bis, rs he thought, hard lot, deter.
mining 10 pay the full penalty assessed
against him, and take his freedom, when the
time came, under obligations TO no one. lie
appeared to feel that tho hand OF tho entire
human family was against him, and he nc
crpted the guge, declaring that he would SUI.
fer death rather Than again sue Tor mercy
from any man. Ills conduct as prisoner
was better than the average, US is attested by
his going out with within few days Of one
| wears "rood tjmen - aF.