The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-01-09
Leaps For Liberty.

|
A recaptured deserter from the Unite,
States Army, handcuffed and secured /,
al IRON bed stead with cham of thick
heavy links, made his escape out OF tb,
third story Of the General Mouuted Sci vic,
: Recruiting rendezvous, at Twentieth ant
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 to dIsengaSe him
self. lie reached the ground in two leaps,
one OF fourteen and the other OF twenty
two feet. Not tho slightest trace of him
has been found. Tho 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
to either being struck.
Condy Royle Is the name of the daring
fugitive. lie Is of Hlbernlan stock and
his birthplace is said to have been in Ire
land. lie is twenty-five years old, five
feet ten inches In height, aud alton ether
well built, powerful and handsomely pro-
portioncd. His relatives arc divided III
residence between Allentown and Phila
deIphla. On November last he enlisted
at the recruiting station which ne has lust
left behind him. Altogether he seemed a
desirable acquisition to thu army, and IN
due course OF time would have been sent
to st. Louis and thence further West to
night the redskins. Fate conspired to
favor the latter, however and on Novem-
Der koyle, after dutituily serving his
country Tor week, lost his military en-
thustasm and disappeared from tho bar.
racks Tho young women in the neighbour
nntl III lnoa
the Department of War one more to look
alter. Royle Immediately went to Allen
| town, where he ls we'll known
The fact that he was deserter was as
notorious as his light complexioucd tace
and light eyes, and none venturcd to give
| him up and earn the standing reward O,
thirty dollars which ls offered tor the an
| prehenslon Of escaped soldiers. Even tue
| police of Allentown arc said to have sym-
| pathlzed with him and let him 20 I'M
arrested. dc got so bold that he walked
about as If he had never been a warrior.
lie accoeted one of the Allentown detec.
tlVes and asked tho loan Of fifteen cents.
lhe detective was just going to clap Ro7lc
| on The shoulder and arrest him, but he re-
! membered that he had not the warrant.
In reply to the deseltcr .ho replied some
What ambiguousy that he :had not got
| 1T and hurried Oft as fast as ho could in
| The direction Of the Sherlff's office sto get
It," He got 1t, arrested his man and
brought him to Philadelphia. When R,yle
reached the headq lartcrs il was about
three O'Clock, Ills comrades welcomed
HIM, said they were glad to see him, rushed
him upstairs and chained HIM To The bed,
posting Il sentry outside 10 shoot him IF he
tried 10 esGape. As III. .WiudoY was. 81
necessary 'to'taKc any psecaulions III that
direction. The heavy tscad OF the sentry
aod the occasional bang OF his muskct on
tho floor did their best to Inform Royle
that he was not at fair. As the exact
chronology of his proceedings can only he
told by himself large part of them have
70 be guessed a. 1t ls certain that Le
hegan by working some screws and dlvid
ing the bedstead Into two parts. 1t Is
thought that his next move was to tie il
! securely 10 his body, So that when he
Jumped neither he nor the bedstead should
reach tho ground first, which would have
entailed considerable joltng. A few
scraps Of rope which liz AROUND the room
| tend to cohflrm thls belief. The descent
| Of the man, hampered as he was by the
piece of bedstead, which Is some three
tcet by two aud halI feet square, seems
| almost incredible.
Underneath the window ut distance OF
| fourteen feet is slippery and iuflrm
wooden shed belonging 10 the yard OF q
| house In the rear of the military rendez-
vons. He must have jumped on to this,
which feat IN itself was periloua. The
roof Is covered with moss and frost and
looks anything but safe resting place.
From the shed he evidently leaped on the
| hard bricks OF the yard, twenty-five feet
more. Th1 yard is surrounded! BY a
wooden fenco some elovel feet In height,
which seems to be uucllmbarle even II
the climber were not handcuiIed and ac-
companied by a bedsteat. IL was Just
O'CLOCK: when tue 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 impos.ible.
however, that any one could have climbed
up to the ruom from without. The wonder
10 that Roylc was not seen either by some
one in the court AZ tho leur or by persons
in the houses.
About year ago Kpylo escaped from
the police station at Allentown, where he
was conflucd tor triHng offence, IN a
similar way. Haul he not fed he would
have been sent TO the Jefferson Barracks,
Ut. Louis, and tried by court. martial. The
usual punishment Is five or six years.
Imprisonment, which is generally reduced
to halt Dy the judge advocate. The de-
sertlon IS the trh this year in the district,
Iii which Philadelphia Is Included.
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The HHkit OF Falnting.
There Is not 80 much faintin9 in nnl.