Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-30
THE RUZZ4RD GANG.
Their Leader Describes in Court How His
Former Flights From Jail Were
Allotted by Officials.

Their Leader Describes in Court How His
Former Flights From Jail We're
Allotted by Officials.
Lancaster (Pa.) Letter in New York Times
Lancaster County hast years past
been brought somewhat prominently
before the public at large through the
busy pens of special correspondents,
who were given ample material to
work upon by the iail-breaking ex-
PLOTS OF John frankfort, the noted
one-eyed horse thief, the equally no.
torious Abe Buzzard, and his brother
Ike, of Welsh's Mountain fame, and
their way out of our leaky Jail when
ever they were so disposed, were re-
captured and escaped again. But it is
not probable that there will be much
of this kind of news from Lancaster III
the near future, for frankfort, the
Buzzards, and other long term men
were to-day sent to the Eastern Peni-
tertiary to serve the balance of their
sentences. Two wholesale deliveries
have been made within few years.
At high noon on May "a, 1882, ten
long-term convicts cut their way from
the cigar-making shop into the yard
and escaped over the wall. They had
nearly all been brought back to their
old quarters when, on October 10,
1888, Ike Buzzard asked a Waterman
to take his canary bird to his brother
Abes cell, on the opposite side of the
corridor. The Waterman took the
cage, and leaving Ike's cell door open,
went over to Abe's cell. Ike quickly
followed him, pushed him into Abe's
cell as he opened the door, locked him
in, and released eleven long-term
prisoners, who got safely away. The
last of these to be returned was John
frankfort, who was captured in Phila-
delphia, on November 25.
To-day these convicts were brought
into court for sentencefor jail breaking,
and a sensation resulted. Ike Buz-
zard was first called up for sentence,
and Judge Livingston said to him.
"You have taken g. leading and active
part IN the escapes from the Lancas-
ter County prison. The Court has al
ways believed that it was impossible
to break jail without assistance from
inside or outside. You had keys that
unlocked cell doors and the outer
door, and you could not have
hid them without assistance, as
no persons are allowed keys, but
the officials of the prison. You now
have permission of the Court to make
statement if you desire. You will
not remain In the keeping of the same
officers, and the Court in conclusion
will state that whatever you may say
will not add to or take away from
your sentence"
In reply, Buzzard made hefoIlowing
statement, giving details ofthe escapes
of May "a, 1882, and October 10,
1888, and showing the guilt of the
officials: 81 received assistance from
officers of the prison. Prior to the
first and second escapes acid was given
to some of the prisoners TO eat the
iron of the cells, and keys from which
in the cigar-shop to work officers of
the prison came to US and told us
that if they had wanted us to stay in
prison they would not have put us to
work in the shop, and if we wanted to
i go we should go out before the next
meeting of the Prison Inspect
ors, as Burkholder was getting
alarmed, and we would be
put back to our cells to work.
The officer said Burkholder had given
orders TO have the shop searched each
and every day, and was under the i'm
preston that an escape could not be
made in single day. The officer said
it would be better to go out at II
O'Clock, as at that hour Burkholder
was at dinner, but don't 60 out to-
day. he said, because Burkholder has
q lot of men at work outside, where
you would have to 60 over walls He
concluded by saying to us, When you
make a break make good one, and if
you come around to my place l will
give you clothes and hide you for a
time, but try to make the escape when
lam off duty Just before the second
escape, Abe, my brother, was put in
cell No. SO, on the upper tier, and the
officer came to me and said, Il will get
you both together by telling Burkhold-
er [ heard suspicious noises IN Abe's
cell. and he will be brought down.
Next morning Abe was brought down
to cell No. IL, opposite to the one in
which I was confined. The officer
came to me and said it was all right
Did I not tell you,' he asked, 4 would
have you brought together?' The in
spectors, he said, had proposed a trip
to the prisons OF neighboring cities
and Burkholder was going along, and
there would be no one on duty but
the night Waterman, and the long
term men would be foolish to stay
there.
"Just before my cell door was opened
on the night of October TO-" Buzzard
continued, '.an officer came to me and
said that Burkholder went down to
thehall to see the Sullivan-Slade spar
ring match, and that Burkholder was
going to try and knock Sullivan out.
When my cell door was opened and ]
handed the bird cage out my cell door
was left open, and | stepped out and
across to Abe's and closed that door
on the Waterman. The keys had been
left in the door. We then escaped.
Acids were given to the prisoners, but
that was before stockholders admins
tration. They were not to be used,
however, until after he came on duty