The Portland daily press., 1883-10-12
STEPPED OUT.
George D. Prescott Walks Out of Port
land Jail-A Very Ingenious Plan.

A few weeks ago it will be remembered
George d. Prescott stopped at the Falmouth
Hotel, stole Mr.. J. B. Bakers diamond studs,
a shirt from commercial traveller named
Wells, and money from a woman whose ac-
quaintance he had made and whose evidence
convicted him, although the tag OF the shirt
stolen from Wells identified him as the thief
Prescott got two months sentence for larceny
and would have received longer sentences
when the Superior Court met in January.
Yesterday, at nooD when Prescott went to
work in the jail workshop, he was attired as
usual ia his prison garb. Soon after Snperin-
tendent Hale missed him but supposed Pres
colt had obtained leave from Mr.. Norman
True, the turnkey, to return to his cell on ac-
count of sickness as this had been the case
with some others at other times About 8
O'Clock the engineer called through the speak
ing tube and asked Hale who the friend of
Sanford's was that had been selling Sanford
so much pancake" pancake is a sort of
shoddy leather) Hale asked what he meant
by that and Mr.. Mari, the engineer, replied,
why, the friend of Sanfords he had let out
OF the engine room into the street at Sanford g
request" Hale then suspected Prescott had
escaped and found his suspicious correct.
1t appears that Sheriff True gave orders
some time ago that when prisoners came to
the jail that their clothes should either be
sent home, or placed in room in the Jail and
handed to them after their term of service ex.
PRED. Ihis order it appears has not been
strictly enforced. Yesterday morning wien
Prescott went to work Mr.. Norman True
noticed he had on his black trousers and asked
him where his prison trousers were. PRESCOTT
replied they had become soiled and he washed
them and left them to dry. This shows that
Prescott had not had his civilian dress taken
from him.
| 1t has been discovered that almost immedi.
ately after entering the workshop Prescott
| left, and descended to the next story below
where surplus stock for the workshop is kept
| Ii he had been seen there his presence would
! not have been noticed as it was customary fol-
| prisoners to go down after stock. AS soon al
he reached that floor he pulled off his prison
dress and hid it in o barrel where it was
| found, and then stepped down into the engine
room, located in the basement, clad in his citi
zen's dress and wearing stiff black hat. He
| told the engineer. Mr.. Mari, that he repre-
sented large firm in Boston who had bought
| up about all the pancake leather in the
market and that he had come to Portland and
made some excellent contracts with Mr.. Jot
Sanford. lit seems that Prescott once worked
for Sanfordl and knew all about the business.
Mr.. Mari, the engineer, never sees the prison
ers, and never suspected Prescott was one, and
chatted away with him for some time, Prescott
evincing no hurry or nervousness. After 9
little while Prescott said Sanford told him he
could get out of the building that way instead
of going all the way round to the front door
and Mari, unsuspicious, notwithstanding nc
officer accompanied Prescott and authorized
his departure, unlocked the door and let Pres
colt out. Prescott politely raised his hat, bad,
Mr.. Mari good afternoon and walked off
The police were informed and police an,
deputies are on the lookout for Prescott. a
man resembling him was seen in Cape Eliza
beth in the afternoon.