Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-04
sULI1vAs YEARLY FRsE.


He Breaks His Chain. Wakes AAs
way ia tue RoOf Of the Jnii and
Then taoes HACK
Philadelphia Inquirer special.
SALRM, N. j., Nov, S0.-Howard Suili'
van, the negro murderer Of Ella Watson,
now lying In jail here, ard 10 bs Hanged
on Tueedey next, made desperate and
ingenious attempt TO ssnsps on Fridey
Eight, the particulars and discovery OF
which were not known until this morn
ing, when he cert for local reporter,
and made a full confession OF HE plaDs
and iatentions. Ever since his arrest he
has been ojndaBd In the large room in
the third story Of the Jail known as the
hospital Here he has heeu allowed
muoh lbYrly, with the exception OF hsv
ing a rs pound bali and ohaia fastened
to his ankle. The room has In II an old
fssbioued wooden bsdstead, fastened wi b
large iron screws, aud two dry eopds
boxep, which be has used IS tail
This and an arm chair completed tn Tor
niture
AZ the viudows are gra.ad aud stms 30
feet tfom the ground, II was Thought h'
was perfectly secure o. Friday night
Sheriff Kslsy decided 10 placs the deaih
watch on him, and Reut deputies Cook
ard Clinton TO his room, thinking that
| with this presence Of the watch all furthfr
need for the bail and ohsin was gone
tx Sheriff Coles Undertook to ual0ek the
paddock which fastened II 10 his leg,
when ha discovered that IL had bssn
tempered with. Sullivan was st once
accused Of having beaten 4; Tbis h.
denied, but at last, Fseiog that furtb. 7
conoealment was useless, he admittt d
that he had attempted TO break it with
| the large iron screw OF his bedstead and
| he then uEtwisted piece of wire aud the
| cham fell from his sukle, the large lii Ks
| having been burst. What his object " ss
none could tell, as o careful search OF thu
room and window failed to show aDy at
tempt al escape.
The case rem ined q mystery until to.
day, when Sullivan sdmitted that he had
for the last two weeks worked day and
night to eseAps. After he had removed
the chain, he then placed the two boxes
on each other aud, placing q chair on
them, was enabled TO reach veniilatOr
In toe centre Of the oeiiiug To remove
this from it's place was Az easy matter,
aud, GRO wdipg himself through the hole,
us WAh cOHiNOHtcu ny y HSbfy thp uuot
before he could reach thu roof, With
almost superhuman exerton, this was
rAihed and propped up, and he was In
the loft and directly under the roo, which
Is Of slate. Taking All ordinary pepkuife,
which had In some way tesn conveyed &c
him, he commenced the w.rk OF cutting
through tine inch b,srds, which he a
last accomplished, and, slipped the slstt
to one side, he orawled out on the root :
free man.
Az regads his subsequent movement
he tells rather cor tlio!ing stories, but tn
truth seems to bs that the first night h
+. simply looked around, and going back
} replaced the vsntilator. Thinking b
a had plenty Of time he waited his oppol
tuni.y. Thursday night WAS dark an
a stormy, and hs then made all arrange
: ments to go, but for some reason he wa
n delayed, and, the clock striking thre,
warned h NJ that he would not have tin
to reach where he was going before day
!. break, so he waited and oBly the arriva
: entirely unexpected to him, Of the deaf
4 watch, prevented his escape. The alta
:. creates much excitement.