The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1883-06-14
A LEAP FOR FREEDOM.
An'thsr Bid Attempt Ct the Snyder
County Safe Blowers to Escape.


The two prisons taken to the East
ern Penitentiory by Sheriff Reichly
and Aaron Ststler OH Monday of last
week, made another bold but unsuc
cessful attempt to escape from the
grasp Of the law by jumping from the
train at DowningtoB, 30 miles on this
side Of Philadelphia. The circumstan
ces as related to Ills by Sheriff Reichly
were as follows:
When they left here the Sheriff had
them hand-cuiTed together. but upon
reaching the Selinsgrove junction he
deemed it prudent to put the hobbies
on them, against which they strongl,
protested. After they got on the train
again they seemed perfectly unmind
full of what transpiret, hut were clos,
| ~ watched by the Sheriff, especial,
so when he formed the acquaintanc,
OF Hon. Herman G. Fry, member OF
the Legislature from Lu2erne county
who recognized the big fellow as tn,
man who had been sent to the peni
tentiary from his county for horse
stealing.
Everything passed OF quietly, how
ever, until the train had pulled out o
the Downingtown depot, when botl
Jumped up and ran for the door the
little fellow ahead dragging the hob
BILE, and the big fellow following will
the cuffs fast o his wrist. TIE clinki'p &
of the chains brought ali the passpn
! gers to their feet and the excitement
was intense. In an instant the sheriff
was up and after reaching the plat
! form just as the little fellow Jumped
of bat In time to catch the big fellow
by the nape Of the neck and haul him
back, at the same time pulliug the bel
rope with his other hand. The train
which had been running at the rate ot
twenty miles an hour, stopped almost
instantly, and detective William BRA
dy jumped oil and followed the ncciug
little Englishmun in hot haste, whil,
the train pulled out for Philadelphia.
with the sheriff nnd his one prisoner
on board assured by the railroad an
thorities that Brady would bring in
the other one. How they had got ont
Of their irons no one could tell. The
big fellow, in walking from the plat
form to his seat after being caught 10y
the sheriff, pulled the cuffs oil hi,
wrist and threw them on the iloor u,
If they were but cotton strings.
On reaching the Penitcntiary, tn,
Deputy Warden greeted the prisoner
with
Hello! are you, back again ~
Never was here before
"leS You were, and your nume i,
DberdOrf."
He was then blind folded and led to
the Warden's Office, who upon secin:
him, asked
"Is this your third or fourth term
here Z
The prisoner seeing that the game
was mp, gave hang dog look and re
spOnded:
Third term. Five years last time. 81
The Sheriff then started for the Bu
reau of Information, where he expect
ed to get news from the little English.
man. Upon his arrival dipatch
awaited him from Brady, stating that
the prisoner was re captured and he
should call at the superintendent :
office, cor. 3ist 4 Market streets. and
get him. He did SO and found his man
rather the worse for the racket. He
had jumped down an clnbaukmeut of
at least fifteen feet while the train was
moving twenty miles an hour and
landed on his head r. badly skinuiug
that portion of his anatomy. He was
unknown to the prison authorities
and cody remarked that ii he would
break his neck in attempting to e..
cape il wouid not cost Snyder county
any money
Great credit is dew Detective Brady
and the railroad authorities for the
ready.assistancc they lent inrecaptur'g
the prisoners and be ii said OF Shcr,
III Reichly that the county may be
proud of an officer, who with the poor
est facilities, successfully held and
safely delivered II brace of the worst
bluck-legs that ever wore irons.