Smyrna times., 1889-12-04
Dill and Bob Allen Escape from Dover
Jail.

George S. Dill and Bob Allen es-
capped from the Kent county Jail at
$50 o'clock Thursday night. They
had a duplicate key and while the
sheritt's family were in the dwelling
part of the Jail they left. Sheriff Fen
nimore's wife heard noise and then
discovered the escape of the prisoners.
Allen had already been locked in his
cell, but the door of Dill's cell had not
yet been locked, so that it is probable
that it was through him that the
escape was made. Sheriff Fennimore
offers reward of 500. Allen had
four years OF a ten years sentence to
serve. Dill had been sentenced On
November 5th last to one hour in the
pillOry, and fine of $500 and Eve years
Imprisonment for an assault with at.
tempt to kill William NJ. Porter on
March 16, last, The pillOry part of
the sentence, however was taken off
by Governor Biggs.
THE ESCAPE.
Their mode of escape was as fol-
lows, says the Sentinel Dill. it seems.
had the run of the corridors. All the
other cells except the one occupied by
Dill and Rathel were locked; but these
two, being kept as kind of prisoners
of State, did pretty much as thev
pleased. Rathel, it will be recolected.
was kept in the Sherf's dwelling for
weeks after his conviction. Dill un-
locked Aliens cell (if he was in there
when the cell was locked), and once
in the corridor they unlocked the
grated door leading from the iail to
the dwelling. The key was a new
one, having been bought at Mr.. Cul-
veyhOuse's (being what is called a
blank key,) and was filed to fit the
lock after it was purchased, either in
the Jail or out, no one knows. Hay-
| ing no further use for the kew. thev
left it in the lock. They left the iail
| by the west door, going out through
the garden. They were seen coming
out OF the garden about 7 o'clock or
at least two men were, and it is sup.
posed now they were Dill and Allen.
Just where Turnkey BOggs was while
all this was going on has not been
learned; or why Dill was not locked
in his cell at this time of night: or
why the outside wooden door con-
Meeting with the Jail was not locked
1t all looks suspicious, and made the
escape of these desperate criminals as
easy as it would be for them to walk
out of any dwelling in Dover. There
was no more security about it.
ALLEN A DESPERATE CHARACTER.
A Dover correspondent writes Il
the matter was prearranged it Is
thought that Allen and Dill separated
at the end of the Jail yard and that
while Dill's friends with a carriage
drove in one direction, Allen went the
opposite way. AS Allen is we'll ac.
quainted with the country hereabouts
and has many friends among the col
Ored people it will be a difficult thing
to trace him.
While Dill's escape has caused 8
sensation Ou account of the cir4um.
stances connected in his trial the ma,
jOrity of people hereabouts would
rather see every prisoner in the iai
escape than Bob Allen. The fact is
that he is feared. His known desper-
ate character and the threats he haC
made against many prominent people
including the judges and exsheriff
have long been a household word
and there are many who believe tha
he will, if possible, carry out those
threats. He has several times escaped
Jail, once at least from the City Hal
in Wilmington, once or twice in Ches
tertOwn, once in Georgetown; and hi.
last break for liberty was made from
the Dover Jail about five years since
He was then recaptured in Philadel
phia and when brought back an ole
indictment was pressed against hin
and he was given ten years. Sheriff
Robinson of Smyrna, had charge of tn,
Jail then, and he loaded Allen witt
chains and bound him to the floor lik
a wild beast, and kept him this way a
least during his term. 1t was thi
treatment and the fact that the cour
extended his sentence that caused hin
to utter the threats now so well re
membered and it is generally accep
ted that he will fight to the death be
fore he will be taken.