New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-01
ESCAPING FROM JAIL.
A SHREwD THIEF AT LARGE IN BROOKLYN.
THE MAN WHO ROBBED THE POST OFFICE SECURES
HIS LIBERTY.

A SHREWD THIEF AT LARGE IN BROOKLYN.
THE MAN WHO ROBBED THE POST OFFICE SECURES
HIS LIBERTY.
A notorious thief escaped from the Raymond
Street jail IN Brooklyn Last evening by the aid OF
a confederate on the outside. Among the inmates
of the Jail for the last three
months has been James Boyle, alias Jimmy
Burns who was awaiting trial for stealing
$1,000 from the Brooklyn Post Ohce
last winter He confined in cell NO.
8 on the left side of the centre OF the ground
tier. He was allowed the freedom OF
the corridor in the daytime and was not locked
in his cell until between and
10 o'clock at night. Last evening Deputy Keeper
C"wan in going the rounds at o'clock found
Boyle in his CELL Two hours later
he again went around. and not finding
Boyle in his place. began to look Tor
him in some of the unoccupied cells which
he sometimes used. One Of these was
cell No. &c. aud on looking in there Keeper Cowan
found prisoner named Wynne. who said That
Boyle bad JUST passed around INTO the north CORR
dor. Cowan fastened to look for him. but did not
find any trace of Boyle until he observed that two
bars of window in the east end of the
jaIl had been sawed Oft and an
opening made large enough TO permit of the
escape of man. This window was the second FROM
the north side of the building and opened upon the
Fort Greene Park side of it.
HOW THE ESCAPE WAS EXPECTED.
On making this alarming discovery OF an I'M
guarded exit from tho jail. Keeper Cowan hastily
aroused his assistants and summoned Sh rlt
Stegman and his deputies. and Keeper
Schulz They carefully searched
tho interior of the jail, and finding no trace OF
Boyle, went into the jail yard in the search Dat
slds of the broken window ladder was
found resting upon the sill and running
up to the bank outside OF the wall of the jail yard
which ~ "a part OF Fort Greene p rk. the
me ans of escape were apparent. When the
new jail building was erected four years
ago. "A por ion of tho hill at The line Of Canton-st
was cut away, aud retaining wall was put
up down to the top of winch grassy
slope extended. Inside this wall. add tweve
feet away from IT. the jail was built Boyles
confederate or cOnfederaies, no doubt com
mnnicated with hun from the park by
signals through the window. which could
not be seen from tho corridor OF the jail and
therefore Sc dom fell under the eye
of the keeper. Aner the plan was
developed, tho confederate must have
gone to the park with the ladder which was four
teen feet long. and coil OF rope. which was
left with the ladder. lie then lowered
the Ia der from the bank to the
window-sill. whore It rested securely at q slight
angie Crossing the bridge thus made the con-
irderate tore loose Inc Wfo scIrch W., ,I
bars. Boyle must also have hal COME crate on
the INSIDE to lit hun no 20 Lhe WIN
dow. which Is seven feet from the
| floor. Inr bars were cut OF about three feet
iron the sl which lei the JAN ohciils 20 ,ncu 10
that the cutting was done from the outside. When ne
once reached the LADDER leading 10 the outside world
few steps carried the escaped prisoner 10 he seclu-
at,,. m. xbeFg cd L en- -
clumps Of bushes. no could cnango ms clothes ana
Disguise himself.
BROOKLYN Police Headquarters aud a full descrip-
tInu Boyle sent 20 each police station. lie
Is for,y-one years OF ace, weighs 1s5 pounds. has
dark nair aod "A full beard. III. picture Is No..
Lila IN the Rngues' Caller. IN Brooklyn
the escaped PRISONERS CRIME.
Boyle is one of the most expert bank sneak
thieves in the country. When arrested he called
himself John Boucn. but he is better known as
jimmy Burns. The crime for winch lie
was awaiting trial was stealing pile
OF bills amounting to 81 300. from the desk Of As
sistant Postmaster Morton, of the BROOKLYN Post
Office. Colonel Morton had Just finished counting
some of tho receipts al The Office at noon February
T. and had placed -. 900 N TWO piles uDon ms
desk, tho bills brng 81 yided INTO parcels bv rubber
bands. Thea he was called away iOrafew NONE ut.
aud requ- sted Chicf Clerk Debevolse. whose desk
wa close at hand, To Look alter the money. The
latter stepped from his desk aud down
by that of Colonel Morton man thea
40 To the desk and made inquiry in regard 10
"A registered ter which had not been received bv
a man named Wilson wing IN CnutOu-st. lie sand
he bad inquired a the window IN the delivery
Office down stairs and had not received
courteous treatment Cbiei Clerk Debeyose
turned his back upon the lnqu reT, VINO was sep
ara OF from the money bv = nigh wire screen. and
called through speaking tube tor vii IAN
McKic, the cl .rk the window IN question. On
turning arouni he found that the inquirer had
"a Ssrd the desk and had come close TO him.
but he suAp cied nothing. The clerk cam"
I'D from below and the three men coDyersed about
the letter call d tor and then the stranger
lstered-l. tier clerk went down by tine
inner stairs. expecting that the stranger would go
TO the window again about the letter. Instead,
tho stranger passed out o. tho build
ing and went down Wasnlngton.st st.
Five minutes later Colonel Morton returned to his
desk aud at once that one pile of the bills aud
part of the other h'd ,o disappeared
been stolen. It was found that the inquiry about
the registered letter by tho We l-dTessed stranger
lad been entirely fictitious as no such man
az Wilson lived at the number given. From
some unknown reason tho case was kept
secret until twelve hours after the robbery
occurred, Postmaster McLeer consulting only
with Police Castain Campbell and no description
of the thief las sent out. No clew TO his identity
was found until May 49, when Detective Byrnes set
a watch upon Boyle. who was living under the
nam. of Burns in East Seyentieth-st.. this
city He was seen 20 enter his house that day, and
when he attempted TO leave 1t two
DAYS afterward was arrested The
Kings County Grand Jury found an IN
dlctment against him agd ho was committed with
ont ba TO The RAYMOND Street Jail. He was 10 he
tried in September in the Kings County Court
nj SpsgI