Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-01-18
leaps Fer Liberty.

A rCcaptured deserter from the United
States Army, hAndcuifed and secured I,
an iron bed stead with cham OF thick
heavy links, made his escape out OF th,
third story of the General Mounted ServIc,
Recruiting Rendezvous, at Twentieth anC
Market streets, Philadelphia, recently
The escape Was made more wonderful
from the fact of the fugitive carrying witt
him large part OF the bed-stead, from
which he was not able 10 dlsengage HIM
self. lie reached the ground In two leaps
one OF fourteen and the other of twenty
two feet. Not the slightest trace of hin
has been found. The piece of the bed
stead, which weighs about fourteen pounds
has not been recovered, and from present
indications there is no likelihood of a clue
~ either being struck.
Condy Royle Is the name of the daring
fugitive. He is of Hlbernian stock anC
ais birthplace is said to have been in Ire,
land. lie is twenty-five years old, five
feet ten inches In height, and altogether
well built, powerful and handsomely pro.
portioned. His relatives are divided III
residence between Allentown and Phila.
delpha. On November last he enlisted
at the recruiting station which he has Just
left behind him. Altogether he seemed a
desirable acquisition TO the army, and IN
due course OF time would have been sent
10 St. Louis and thence further West 10
fight the redskins. Fate conspired Ia
favor the latter, however and ON NoVem-
Der s Royle, after dutiuilY serving his
country Tor week, lost his military en-
thuslasm and disappeared from the bar
racks. The young women in the neighbor-
hood had one soldier less to look at and
the Department OF War one more to look
alter, Royle Immediately went TO Alien
town, where he Is well known
The fact lha. he was deserter was as
notorious rs his light complexioned tace
and light eyes, and none ventured TO give
him up and earn the standing reward OF
thirty dollars which IS offered Tor the ap-
prehenslon of escaped soldiers. Even tue
police of Allentown are said TO have sym-
pathlzed with him and let him go un-
arrested. He cot SO bold that he walked
about rs If he had never been warrior.
He ac0osted one of the Allentown detec-
tives aud asked the loan OF fifteen cents.
The detective was just going to clap Royle
on the shoulder and arrest him, but he re-
membered that he had not the warrant.
In reply to the desertcr he replied some
what ambiguously that he chad not got
II and hurried off as fast as he could in
the direction of the Sherlff's Office ito get
It." be got it, arrested his man and
brought him 10 Philadelphia. When Royle
reached the headquarters it was about
three o'clock, His comrades welcomed
HIM, said they were glad TO see him, rushed
him upstairs and chained hlm 10 the bed,
posting sentry outside to shoe. him If he
tried TO escape. AS the window was so
far above the ground 1t was not thought
necessary 10 take any precautions in that
direction. The heavy tread OF the sentry
aud the occasional bang of his musket on
the floor did their best TO inform Royle
that he was not at fair AS the exact
chronology of hls proceedings can only he
told by himself large part of them have
TO be guessed at. 1t Is certain that he
began by working some screws and dIvid.
ing the bedstead into two parts. Ii Is
thought that his next move was TO tie ii
securely TO his body, so that when he
jumped neither he nor the bedstead should
reach the ground first, which would have
entailed considerable ioltiug. A few
scraps of rope which lie around the room
tend TO confirm this belief. The descent
of the man, hampered as he was by the
piece of bedstead, which 10 some three
feet by two and halt feet square, seems
almost incredible.
Underneath the window at distance of
fourteen feet is slippery and intirm
wooden shed belonging to the yard of a
house IN the rear of the military rendez-
vous. He must have jumped on to this,
which feat In itself was perilous The
roof is covered with moss and frost and
looks anything but safe resting. place.
From the shed he evidently Ieaped on the
hard bricks of the yard, twenty-five feet
more. The yard is surrounded by @
wooden fence some eleven feet in height,
which seems TO be uncllmbable even II
the climber were not handcuffed and ac.
companied by bedsteal. 1t was just 8
O'CLOCK when the escape was made. This
was just the time when every one bat the
sentry was at tea. 1t was thought that on
reaching the ground Royle must have been
assisted by friends, 1t Is impossible,
however, that any one could have climbed
up TO the room from without. The wonder
Is that Royle was not seen either by some
one in the court at the rear or by persons
In the houses.
About year ago Royle escaped from
the police station at Allentown, where he
was confined tor trltling offence, In q
similar way. Had he not fled he would
have been sent to the Jefferson Barracks,
St. Louis, and tried by court-martial. The
usual punishment is five or six years
imprisonment, which Is generally reduced
to half by the judge advocate. The de-
sertlon Is the fifth this year in the district,
Ia which Philadelphia lis included.
The Habit of Painting.