Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-18

apartments TO the Jail having rottsd
away WAS being rebuilt. The carpenter
had ben at work during the day, and
had only stopped working at the lumber
d few minutes before the men escaped
The Capture.
Charles Blake and Charles Copeley, the
two criminals who made an escape from the
county Jail at New Castle on Saturday after
noon by scaling the wall surrounding the
yard, were recsptured by Police Officer
Marques near Oxford, Pa, late Tuesday
afternoon, and brought back to this city
about midnight. The pursuit of the fngi-
tives was conducted by Officer Marques most
successfully, and the arrest was made by him
almost unaided. The men de6ed the
officer to capture them, and when
cornered fought him with stones
until ball from Marquess' revolver was
lodged in Blake's ankle which disabled him so
seriously that he surrendered and Copeley
then showed the white flag. The arrest was
made between and O'Clock Tuesday after
noon on the outskirts of Oxford, after the
day had been spent on the track of the fleeing
criminals. Officer Marques had spent part
OF Monday in an endeavor to apprehend the
men, and he and Deputy Sheriff
Chambers were close upon them at
Landenberg when their horse gave
out from being hard pressed and
the pursuit WAS temporarily abandoned
for the day. Seeing in EVERY EVENING that
Copeley's family resided at Oxford, Marques
concluded that the men were headed for that
borough, and he set out in that direction.
He proceeded to Avondale by train on the
Philadelphia Il Baltimore Central railroad
and thence set ont for Oxford in carriage
He drove In the direction Of Oxford, making
frequent inquiries for the men but failed TO
hear anything OF them When within very
short distance OF Oxford the officer saw two
men CROSS the road directly ahead Of him and
go into thicket he recognized the men
as the two ne was pursuing, and so
informed the man driving his team. The
latter declined to participate in an effort to
capture them, and Marquess went TO rail.
road station and there enlisted three white
lads and two colored men to join in the
capture. The pursued were in the thicket
but had turned back to the road, and did not
recognize the policeman and his men until
they were directly upon them Blake leaped
upon stone pile near the road and gathering
up large stones In his arms defied the officers
to approach. Copeley did the same and
the two men held their posi-
tons. The plucky officer called to
Tue men 10 bufrenUeE, Dub pObn clhlmeu
that he had made mistake in their identity.
Blake persistently argued that he was not
Blake, aud Oopeley was quite as profuse in
his arguments to convince the officer
that he was some other man. Marques,
however, fully identified the men, and ad.
vanced upon them ssking them to surrender
his assistants keeping a safe distance from
the place. When he got within 10 feet Of
Blake the latter began bombardment with
tho oh ha od fhatfn
at the officers head, and threatening to kill
him. Marques advanced slowly and covered
the man with his revolver, but Blake defantly
continued his bombardment. After throwing
stone at close quarters at Marques he
reached his hand back int q hip pocket,
meaning to bring forth revolver, when
Marques fired at him and sent a 38-calibre
bullet into his ankle joint just at the instep.
His pistol was aimed low purposely and as
soon as it was discharged Blake dropped
and cried out "Marquess, ! surrender y
The assistants, who viewed the affair with
much excitement some distance away, then
took charge Of Blake, and the officer turned
his attention to Oopeley. He was captured
with but little resistance, although he had an
arm load OF large stones which he persisted
in retaining until almost forced to throw
them down. Blake was carried to a wagon
a short distance away, and with Oopeley was
taken to Oxford. Here Blake's wound was
dressed by DIR. Roman, and after partaking
of some lunch and attending to Blake
the party started for Wilmington in
two horse close carriage. Copeley
was bound by wristlets and Blake had his
wounded foot raised on the seat ahead Of
him, He was in the care Of Constable ]. B.
Woodruff OF Oxford. The party covered the
distance in about four houre, arriving here
about midnight, and the prisoners were
placed in cell corridor at police station.
Blake, who had suffered severely on the trip,
fainting three or four times, was laid on q
mattress and his wound examined
by DIR. drimshaw. An effort wa. wa.
this was unsuccessful. The wound was
afterward carefully rebandaged sud the two
prisoners were left for the night. The wound
is very painful one, the bullet penetrating
the muscular part Of the instep, and it is
thought shattered some Of the bones. The
physician is unable to fcresee the results
which may arise from the wound, but not I'm,
less some complication sets in will it prove
fatal. 1t may cause a lameness for life by
stiffening the joint, or may necessitate an
amputation Of the foot, an expedient which
it is quite probable will be necessitated.
Blake is anxious to be returned to New CASTLE
and his luxurious cell at once, as he dislikes
the odor of the police station corridor and the
critical scanning he received from those ad-
Blakes statement concerning the escape
shows that the theory advanced concerning
their scaling the walls is correct. He claims
that there had been no plot made but he saw
the opportunity OF scaling the wall while the
two were exercising on Saturday night. He
asked Copeley to join him, and the latter
consented, after being assured they would not
| be detected in the act. Blake then placed the
| large joist in the barber's chair and
leaned il against the wall He climbed up this
incline and mounted the coping and there
awaited Copeley, who followed and WAS as
sisted from the end Of the joist to the top Of
/ the wall. Blake then leaped down to the
pavement and Copeley, in following, tripped
as he jumped and was falling sideways when
this attempt to save oopeley from
falling the mems heads came in
collision and both were considerably cut
| about the mouth. They hurriedly arose and
| got out OF New Castle and spent the night in
field near Newport. The next day was
/ spent in the same secluded spot uutil about
O'Clock in the afternoon. when hunger began
| to prey upon them and Blake determined to
| leave his hiding place in search for food.
They made o call at house where they pro-
cured food. After night fall the two men sci
| out afoot for Oxford, Copeieys home, where
| they felt they would have short rest
and recover from their fatigue and hunger
Through the driving rain OF Sunday
night the two men walked, starting on the
W. q N. road at Delaware Junction, and ther
taking the b. & p. tracks. They reached
Landenberg by morning, cropping their way
through the intense darkness and pouring
rain over bridges and crawling over culverts
Continuing their journey the men reached
Oxford about 10 O'clock on Monday night
and went to Copeleys home in that borough
and remained over night. Copeley spent thu
81 81 Ahn tral,k al u,
bedside OF brother who is dying with con
sumption and who was not expected to sur
vive.through Tuesday night. The two fugitive
left oopeley's home Tuesday and wer
en- route to tho station to take train +
Philadelphia when they were discovered an
captured near the station. Blake declare
that had Officer Marquess been 15 minute
later the two would have been safely on thei
journey to Philadelphia. Once reaching tina
city they would have been safe.
The name Of the prisoner calling himsel
Charles Copeley is William Cowan, the son @
well-known and prominent resident Q
Oxford. he pretended to be an amateur i
crime, but it is known that he has served tw
terms in the Chester county Jail for petit
larceny, His father was formerly farmt
and, having retired from active life, remove
to Oxford, where he lives in good style an
! moves in the best social circle Of the towI
! Oowan has had thieving proclivities sine
boyhood and his family, after trying to refori
, him, have discarded him.
Blake, who engineered the escape, is sal
: to have plenty Of cash with him, and no
! withstanding the intense pain his woun
} caused, he insisted Tuesday night while on
way home that the party stop at the hotel
q where he would treat to liquor. A refusal
/ accept his invitation made him quite indiJ
/, nant. In the absence of liquor
l drank heavy dose Of an opiato, let renal
q ing in a phial after the physician had admit
? istered portion to quiet his nerves +
/ means with the intense pain his wounds caus
4 but otherwise does not complain. He sa
:. his life ia proof against bullets and that
a can't be killed with pistol shot unless stru,