Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-03-07
MORE CONVICTS ESCAPE
a QUARTET FLEes FROM loNlA.
Three or Them Reach this Citf-ORe
OF the Three IS Csptured-ftow
Their Liberty Was Gained.

NoiI Ma tcctlfcd mere yesterday 1Ahl
four prisoners had escaped from the Ionis
House of Correction, and upon the first train
Deputies ). Ia. Dates and A. Mcmillan came
10 tie city ia search OF them. The names of
the men are Nm. Brooks, Robert Bowles and
Prank Kuhn, of Detroit, aud Samuel Ash
years time for rape.
Last evening the Deputy Nardens in this
city succeeded in capturing Mm. Brooks
near the Detroit, Grand Haven 4 Milwaukee
depot lie was immediately brought 10
police headquarters where he lodged last
night. Brooks Is young man, being bat
twenty three years of age, and was sentenced
from Detroit for three years for burglary.
he is not a bad looking young man by any
means, but he Is shrewd and desperate fel-
low and has a most crooked history. He
tells the story of the escape as follows:
We four were confined in the upper tier of
cells, close 10 the unoccupied cell that had
been left IN an unfinished condition since
the fire. A hole had been left in the ceiling
with an unfastened stone for a cover. This
fact We became aware of. and made du-
plicate key of wood, covered II with tin, and
and the cells of the Others. We had been
AT work upon the scheme for three months,
and II was my fifth attempt AT escape. We
procured tools 10 work with from various
places, two table knifes aiding us mater
iaily. As many prisoners as choose attend
a night school, and when school Is in session
the cell brake. which locks all the cells
on one isle, Is drawn back.
At this time would unlock with the wooden
key my door, leave a dummy, which l had
arranged from the clothing of the other men
and various things IN my cell, and would 90
10 the unoccupIed cell above and work upon
the roof. b. fore time for school 10 be out
would report III the cell again with door locked
and efiigy carefully slowed away. ! worked
IN this manner with two case knives. one
lmprovlsed into a saw, until the slate roof
ing upon the prison was reached. Thursday
night, between and . O'Clock, when school
was in session, all four of us in adjoining
cells arranged dummies as best we could.
unlocked and relocked my cell then LET all
the others out and locked their cells. We
went To the damaged cell above, removed
the large stone which covered an
opening in the top and which
was always replaced after my
to the attic and began removing the slate
from the roof. The hole was small one,
but we all pulled through, and when once upon
the roof we reached the ground by crawling
first TO one roof that was a little lower and
then TO another. We had improyised rope
from ball of twine, which had been secured
from the cigar shop. With this we intended
To make our descent from the walls, when
once on top. Ashman was the smallest man
and was a long timer, so we decided TO give
him tire nIet cilaICe- he reacneu the JOIl Ol
the wall all right, but, Just as he started 10
descend the rope il broke, letting him fall
nearly the entire eighteen feet. The remain
ing three of US then watched our chances
and escaped through the asylum. We
passed by Ashmsn outside the walls.
bat he was lying unconscious from his fall.
We came Oh the railroad TO this city. pro
cured bowl of bread and milk at Saranac,
but with that exception have had nothing 10
eat since the escape. L secured an old coat
and hat of n section boss on the railroad,
TO whom | told sad story. / was sent up
for burglary, got light sentence. and my
time was nearly out, but five or six indict-
ments were laying for me at the prison.
They were for other burglaries In which
had a hand, and my permanent freedom
looked long ways ahead. We were all un-
acquainted with Grand Rapids, and when
we reached the depot (the Detroit, Grand
Haven d Milwaukee, the other prisoners
| sent me TO inquire the way 10 the Grand
Rapids & Indiana crossing as we wished to
90 moth into the woods. / walked around the
depot in the darkest shadows, but ran square
into the arms of an officer.
Brooks related his adventures in four
other attempts at escape, which were oil e1-
tremely interesting, but too long TO be re
peated here.
large number of officers, together with
/ the Ionia deputies, are searching for the
other two fugitives now in or about the city.
! and il is probable they will be successsul in
I securing them.