The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-31
and leaving the term OF imprisonment to

walked rlpluly up lnlFJeeutu btEeet
then Hampden) intending to 60 overt the
hill. On Hampden street he met Mr..
Chandler, u brother OF the prosecuting
attorney, who recognized him, and
going TO his brothers Office, asked how
Cole got out. Prosecutor Chandler
hastened to the jail, and his inquiries
were the first intimation Jailer Jones
had OF Coles escape. He pursued, and
in stone quarry near McColloch's leap,
came up with Cole, wko ran. MIR.
Jones called to him TO stop, but he did
not. Then his pursuer fired shot,
which brought Cole, or Bidwell, to a
stop, and he was again lodged in jail and
thereafter took his meals behind the
bars with the other prisoners.
May Goth the men were all sentenced
TO be imprisoned for two years in addi-
ton to the fine OF 5000.
TIE ESCAPE.
There was then no State penitentiary,
and State Convicts wee confn ID in q
ward Of the county Jail here, though
they wore the stripes. Here they enter.
ed on their term OF imprisonment.
When sentenced, Cole made IN elo.
Quent speech, claiming that he and his
companions had not received justice.
He also presented written petition
asking that he and Bovar might be con.
fined together in one OF the "debtors'
rooms" giving as his reason that they
desired to study together and improve
their minds.
This request was not granted. The
authorities seem to have become i'm
pressed by this time with belief that
the men were desperate.
On July 25. 1865, Waterman named
Hoffman was making his rounds at the
Jail when small dog kept in the base
lnent barked. Hoffman climbed through
window into the basement, and found
himself in the midst OF a group OF six
convicts, who it was afterwards found
had opened their cell door by means Of
wooden key made by Eldridge. They
beat and kicked the Waterman into in.
seasibility, but not until he had raised
the alarm. Jailer Jones and Waterman
Briester responded, meeting the men on
the stairway. The prisoners had bricks,
and beat the officers off. Mr.. Jones ran
to his room, and gettinga revolver, fol
lowed the men. They leaped from the
second story window. As he reached
the window, William Moreland, one oil
the prisoners, sent up for five years fol
stealing horse from the Grant house
stable, turned and threw brick at the
jailer's head.
SHOT DEAD.
Mr.. Jones fred his revolver as More
land leaped, and the prisoner iell witt
the ball in his left side, and died in
few seconds.
The iailer also seriously, though moi
fatally, wounded John Shelton, burg
lar, in for fifteen years; Abner Marks, il
for seven years for robbing the Adam!
Express company, and Joseph Hughes
sent from Cabell county for two year
for stealing horses.
Charles Wilson, sent up for six year
Tor robbery. and the man Eidridge es
capped. Nothing was ever heard OF then
here afterwards until Bidwell on his re
lease from the London prison, told the
story Eldridge told him. 1t is in sub
stance that the two men Travelled three
nights in the woods, and on the morn
ing OF the fourth day reconnoitered
Imagine their chagrin to find they hat
missed their way and were in near prox
unity to the very jail from which they
had escaped. Half naked and hal
starved, they changed their course til
they struck the Ohio river. They deter
mined to swim across. The undertov
took Eidridge under scow, and hi
landed insensible on the bank. Thu
other man was drowned. After innu
merable hardships Eldridge reached
New York, and wls once more amohl
his friends.
SEVEN 90 OUT.
The Sheriff offered a reward Of $l0t
each for the recapture of these men, Blu
they were not caught, Of course, ant
their escape has never been explained
here until now.
Less than month after this break
seven men escaped, among them beinf
Bidwell (Cole) and his brother (JohI
Wesley). OF the other five, four ar
still living and have either reformed o.
have respectable relatives living here
and as they do not enter into this story
it is not necessary to add to their burdens
that OF renewed publicity now. Thu
five men ran up Thirteenth street ovel
the hill. They were met by Georg(
Davenport, the lawyer, who tried to stoT
them and was promptly knocked down
Their escape was effected by overpower'
ing turnkey who went in to give then
their supper, and takin" the keys from
him.
OF courset their flight created much ex
element, and in the gathering darkness
the two Bidwells went down the alley
from Thirteenth street, the impression
prevailing that all had gone east. Thus
they escaped, and making their way Ia
New York they and Eldridge some time
after raised money to pay the $4,000
fine, and sent Mrs. Bovar to Wheeling,
She secured her husbands pardon on
condition that the fine be paid, and Bo'
var Joined the fugitives in the East.
In 1857 BidweiI fell in with one Wilkes
and Walter Sheridan, the latter profes
sional forger. Two attempts to raise
money by purchases ofgold with fraudu'
lent drafts failed through the cowardice
OF Wilkes.
Later on Bidwell made the acquaint.
ance of George Engles, the great forger
known as "the Terror Of Wall Street. y
BRILLIANT OPERATIONS.
Eagles was out Of money, and told
Bidwell il he would procure the genuine
check Of some firm in. good credit, and
one which would be likely to hold Q
heavy balance in bank, he would have
some facsimile checks printed and draw
out all their money. The plan was sue
cessfully carried out as follows:
Bidwell went to Newark, N. j., and
there wrote to the firm (say Smith &
CO.. whose bank account was thus to be
depleted, ordering certain goods, in,
closing a bill OF exchange for 500, and
requesting them to remit any balance
due him by check. The goods were
shipped and check sent for the Change
as requested. This check was handed
to Engles, who in two days had the
fraudulent bank checks ready. The
first operation was to tender forged