Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-10-24
jan DRLIyERY.
New Castle Citizens Censurc the
Sheritf and Warden The Ease
Win Which the Prisoners Gs-

New Castle Citizons Censurc the
sheriff and Warden The Ease
WIN Whtch the Prisoners sis-
capped EscspcaEs Lax Dtsciptlne.
Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal /
New CASTLE, Oct. 2l.--There were
IL prisoners less in New Castle jail
yesterday morning, than WAS the case
on Saturday evening, that number
having made their escape sometime
between 8 O'Clock Saturday night and
daylight Sunday morning. The IL fottu-
nate ones, with four others were incaroer-
ated IN what is known as the "bum" cell
ia the extreme northwest corner Of the
building on the lower floor. In the east
end OF the cell near the iron door, which
opens into the corridor, is trap door in
the floor, through which dirt and refuse
matter are emptied to the sewer, which
i several feet below. The ioists Of the
floor run as far as the sewer, and be-
tween them is space large enough to
admit a mans body. Through this the
men orawled on their hands and knees to
the main wall OF the jail which 10 six or
eight feet from the opening in the floor.
Here they succeeded in digging, il is
supposed with spoons, knives aud tin
plates, hole several feet deep. The
wall here extends but three feet uuder-
ground and this the prisoners completely
undermined, and after digging up
wards for this distance came to
the surface of this ground on
the outside of the wall into the school
green. This is how the prisoners made
their exit. Murderer Davis was the frst
to discover that the prisoners had de-
| parted. Davis who attends to the lock-
ing and unlocking OF the cell doors,
while on his usual rounds through the
| corridor, peeped into the 'hum'1" cell
anj was surprised to find bnt four occu-
pants ont OF % which were there on the
preceding night. This was about s
O'Clock in the morning. He At once
notified Day Warden Smith, who with
the sheriff visited the place of escape.
\ The four remaining prisoners declared
they were sound asleep, and knew moth
| ing OF the affair until they arose this
murnirg. They were taken and placed
in cell on the upper floor. This sheriff
at once telephuned to the police station
in Wilmington of the affair, but beyond
this no effort was made to capture the
prisoners. All of the prisoners were
serving terms OF 20 and 30 days for
drunkenness and vagrancy, and four OF
them would have been released
on the expiration Of their terms,
this morning. The jail breakers
included Jobn Dugan, Burke Naylor,
Jonas Heck, Isaac Hayden, James Dough
erty, Patrick Doueherty, john McLaugh-
lin, William Hsigler, Dennis Daley.
Peter Doyle and eight others whose names
could not be ascertsined. Crowds OF
people yisited the place of exit on the
outside OF the jail yesterday and every
one who nav II was of the opinion that
il required several days to complete the
Job Il ia supposed that the men worked
at the hole during the day and dug
through uutil they raw daylight. The
dirt from the hole was deposited in the
sewer and washed down into the river.
Sher.f Allen and the wardens are severely
criii SD, however, for not keeping a
styictPr watch over the prisoners in this
department Of the Jail. One of the four
men rem aiming in the cell told yonr CORE
spondent that he had not seen the warden
or sheriff since he Ind been in the jail,
for over week, until yesterday morn.
ing. He also remarked that they had never
visited the cell since he had been there,
/, but that Murderer Davis had full charge
/ of this cell Neither of the men when
admit that liz had seen or heard anything
Of this escape, rs they swear they were
t all fast asleep and said they would no
/ have gone had they been awake, az all o
n them vera old and crippled and WON'T
have been unable to crawl through tn
small space. Night Warden Morgan
kue@ nothing Of the affair until informal
n by the sheriff yesterday morning. Til
| s.1N a hu
been predicted by the citizens OF Ne,
!, Castle, since the reports OF the mitman
aRement and crookedness Ut the jail.
g A hold but nnsuccessful attempt wa
10 made to burg larixa the DobbiasVtlle hott
!, GU Saturday night. the Lnrglars entere
r. the hauae by prying open shutter an
= w,udow il the rear OF the bulldog
= Martin EaonGrd the proprietor, va
y awakened by the noise, aud ct once 81
ID out Gi bad to get his gun. The weapo
s. was procured and Mr. Lsonard entere
ID his bed agsin, plnoiug the gun beside Il
NJ wall. anu awaited tire arrival Of the MI
creants One man entered the room NJ
= at ones began to ride ths pockets I
u LIZ NnRr6's trousers, which lung on
.. chair back. The ln0a then seeing Il
q. gun, picked it ~ and placed it under q
bed Mr. Leonard then asked the mi
his bueILess there, when the latter turnt
on his heels and raDly walked dow
90 stairs. Leonard took his gun from und
,h ina bed and fred at the wouli-bs bur
% lars IS they escaped out OF tie back doc
10 Nothing Of any value was taken.
De Jonas Heck was Tecap.ured Mond
Ii night by Deputy Sheriff Hprlca d. ALE
10 clio fnouu hmm On ShtDieV nj rect Abp