Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-18
BUHelAR BLAKs,s rA1RD NOR


day Afternoon Near OXFORD, Pa
The notorious burglar and d. speTado
and jail breaker Charles ]. Blake, q
Philsdelphis product, made his sscaps
from the county prison al New Castle
about 4 30 O'Clock on Saturday afternoon
taking with him comparative amateur
In crime, o prisoner going under the
assumed name Of Charles Copslsy, whose
family resides in Oxford, Pa. The escape
was effected 80 quietly that the prison
Oficials are In some doubt as to the way
In which 1t was done. II Is thought,
however, that the prisoners scaled the
walls Of the yard surrounding the jail,
and strange to say reached the ground on
the outside Without being seen. Yet II
WAS daylight when the daring dash was
made.
Blake and Copeley, as is the daily
custom Of the jail, were given an half
hours turn In the Jail yard for exercise
and were last seen walking to and fro In
the enclosure. Warden Nsdery was In hts
office attending to some duties and
Deputy Chambers, with q friend, was In
the jail at the time talking with some OF
the prisoners. An inmate Of the iail,
who was als1 taking his exercise, was the
first to give notice OF the escape, and he
at once informed Warden Nedsry Of the
two mems flight. They had been seen
about i've minutes previous to their de-
pArture in the Jail yard, and the news OF
their escape created sensation In the
jail. The other prisoners were at ouoe
secured, and all the doors leading to the
jail looked and search at once instituted
By the deputy sheriff and the wardens.
The police authorities In this city were
directly notified, and sharp look out
was kept for the two Jail birds, A search
Of New Castle was made, and an effort to
gain clue Of the direction the culprits
had pursued failed.
Dispatches were sent to the authorities
Of the surrounding cities notifying them
Of the escape. AS yet no clue has been
obtained Of the runsways, although It is
believed they are yet In this city. There
are q number Of rumoHs current as to
Blake and C0peley being in this city, In
different places, and 1t Is believed they
were seen here on Saturday night.
About O'Clock on Saturday evening two
men answering the description Of Blake
and Copeley visited Shsrksy's saloon at
Front and Franklin streets, and refreshed
themselves with three or four drinks OF
liquor. One OF the men, presumably
Copely, was without coat and hatless
and explained his partially dressed con
dition 70 the proprietor by stating that
they had just come to board with o
family near by and both had stolen ont
Of the house secretly to get some liquid
rsfreshment, and did not want the
family to know 1t. Copsley, SILVER
ing with cold told the landlord
shat he would like to 20 down
into the city, but had no coat and did not
want to 90 back To his boarding house
for 1t. After few moments hesitation
Mr.. Sharkey proffsred the loan Of his
coat and hat, which was accepted and,
divssting himself Of the former garment,
Copslsy put 1t on and then the hat was
given him. he promised to return with
both In short time, but needless TO say,
Mr.. 6harkey has, IS yet, seen neither
since the jail breaker disappeared
through the door with them on.
Tho house Of Police Officer Viokers,
visited the Last slime he escaped, aud
where IL was rumored and supposed he
was in hiGing WAS searched by Deputy
Chambers, but NO traoes of the man
could bs found. Mr.. Vicksrs consented
10 his house being searched, and was
rather more than satisfied that II should
be done, 90 Blake threatened when re
arrested last TO return and shoot the
patrolman. Various people alioge they
saw the two men boldly walking about
the Of y on Saturday evening last, but
many Of the stories are diaoredited.
An examination as to the means Of
escape, adopted by the fugitivsB, has been
made. A chair used by the jail barber
was found standing in the jail yard, in q
corner directly by the tramps retreat. In
the yard were few pieces of heavy joist
about 16 feet long, which BliAson &
Brother had placed in the yard, and
which was being utilized to make some
repairs to the jail. Taking one Of
these jolst, putting II on . chair,
then leaning the end against the wall,
the men could climb the incline to about
four feet Of the top Of the wall. By
rising up they could clutch the atone
coping and raise themselves to the top Of
the wall. From the top II Is supposed
they either dropped to the ground or
jumped to the root Of an adjoining build
ing and thence to the ground
In view OF the fact that Ii was still day
light, this method Of escape was very
daring one, and In measure dangerous
A strange circumstance in connection
with the supposed lesIls that no tooi-
prints con be found in the soft earth,
which must have necessarily been rather
deep, IS tie men leaped from such q
hight. Another theory is that the men
- L. al t. I'd Tn 10 I'd a
a sort OF blind and that they walked ont
Of Jail by the front door, unlocking IL and
fastening IL after they walked ont. Blake
1t Ia known had keys Of former lock to
the front door and 1t ia not regarded as
improbable that he had duplicate keys Of
the new lock which had been put on
about two weeks since. There are sto ies
afioAt that the two men, after escaping,
were seen walking toward this city;
another person claims that they were
met outside the jsil yard by woman
with a carriage and driven away in the
direction of this city. For the reoapture
Of the two men Sheriff Ford oilers 4
reward Of $3.50; for Blake, s100y aad fol
Copslsy, $50.
Blake Is notorious Philadelphia crook
who is doing three years sentence fol
burslsrising Joshua L. Pusey's house. HI
was undoubtedly connected with mum
Der Of robberies in this city, which were
frequent, Just bsfore his arrest. He had
succeeded In eluding arrest until at
umbrella, stolen from Mr.. Pussy, wa
fastened upon him and for thi
theft he wac given thre'
years and sentenced to 80 lAshes
His sister by pleading with Governor
Stockley, had the corporal part OF thu
punishment taken off Since his sentence
Blake has escsped twice previously from
the Jail, but the first time was reoapture'
by Warden Hsnoe, and the second tim
BY the police OF this city after o DARN
resistance. His daring WAS illustrated b.
his last esehpe when, after getting ont c
Jail, he came to this city and dranl
heavily, then going to policeman
house to visit an acquaintance. Hare b
was surprised and When an gttemp
was made to ospture him he dre'
revolver ard kept the officers At ba
until he WAS fairly surrounded By sEms
men, when he dropped his srms and sui
mitted to being hsndouffed aud take
back to isil. Abont two month
ago Sheriff Martin permitted the prisops
TO be married to . Philadelphia
woman named 9ussie Turner. The ma
riage was performed 10 the cell and wit
the idea that the woman as the man
wife could visit him more frequentl.
Blake has other female friends in tn
city whose devotion to him would les
them to almost any extreme II II woul
secure his escape. His cell
the county jail Is luxurious
furnished and oarpetsd, the goods bein
furnish shed by his wife. She also supple
him with food and dsiuties, and Il
,,otnrtoua crnoIr lived like a VefitRb