Evening journal., 1889-11-29
ESCAPED From PRISON.
George Dill and Bob allen, Two Nofori
Gus Prisoners, Break Dover Jail

George Dill and Bob allen, Two Noforf-
Gus Prisoners. Break Dover Jail.
Special correspondence EVENING JOURNAL.
DOVER, Nov. 29.-About 9 o'clock last
night rumor spread through town that
George s. Dill and Bob Allen had es-
capped from jail The night was dark
and stormy. and most people were enjoy
ing family reunions around their hearth
stones. but the rumor spread and it
wasn't long before scores Of people were
vending their ways towards ths Jail Here
the JOURNAL preventative found Sheriff
Fennimore and Turnkey Bogg about
$50, aud from them learned that Dill
and Allen had evidently made their es.
cape about s. 80. The sheriff stated that
he had spent the early part of the even
ing with his family, and that Mr.. Bopgs
was also inside the building all afternoon
and evening, and that both of them had
stepped out, the sheriff to go to the post
Office, and the turnkey to transact some
business. The sheriff had stopped at one
of the offices just below the Capitol
Hotel and was seated there in CONVERSE
tion when word was brought to him thet
Dill had escaped.
Mrs. Fennimore stated that she was
seated in the sitting room, the door of
which faces the main corridor, after the
sheriff left, and she thought she heard
slight noise and quietly listened moment
or two bnt not hearing it repeated went
Ou with her sewing. 10 might
have been fifteen minutes afterwards
she said when she stepped to the door of
her room and glanced towards the cells.
Then she saw that the iron door leading
into the jail proper was ajar, and going
towards it she saw while crossing the
corridor that runs east and west directly
ia front Of the jail door leading the into
yard between the county building and the
jail, was also open. IL was then she
gave the alarm and sent for the sheriff.
II was then thought that only Dill had
escaped, as all the prisoners excepting
Dill had been locked ia their cells early
in the evening. 1t had been the habit to
allow Dill the freedom Of the cOrrindor
until the turnkey made his final round
An examination of the main door dis.
covered we'll made brand new Rey, which
perfectly fitted it, in the lock aud this of
course proved the mode Of es-
cape, land further examination showed
tnat Bob Aliens cell was empty and that
he had accompanied Dill as Allen had
been securely locked in his cell and it
was found unlocked II is plain that the
prisoners must have had two keys, one to
iit Aliens cell door and one for the main
door.
OF course by the time the discovery
WAS made, on account Of the darkness
and rain and the fact the streets were
almost deserted it was impossible to tell
which way the fugitives went but the
general opinion and the sheriff shares it,
that the whole affair was arranged by
Di's friends, and that Allen was taken
INTO its scheme because 1t was known that
he had the nerve to carry it out. Dill
has been allowed many privileges, be
cause the sheriff implicitly trusted him,
and he had many visitors. The theory is
that he was furnished key in blank. as
the locksmith's call them THAT is a
steel key unified at the lock end), and
that Aliens ingenuity did the rest. The
sheriff stated that late one night last
week Dilis brother had called and desired
to see him and that he allowed it, but
both he and the turnkey were present at
the interview
If the matter was prearranged it Is
thought that Allen and Dill separated at
the end Of the Jail yard and that while
Dill'a friends with a carriage drove in
one direction. Allen went the opposite
way. AS Allen is well acquainted with
the country hereabouts aud has many
friends among the colored people it will
be difficult thing to trace him.
While Dills escape has caused a sensa-
tion on account OF the circumstances
connected in his trial, the majority of
people her5abouts would rather see every
prisoner in the jail escape than Bob
Allen. The fact is that he is feared
His known desperate character and
the deadly threats he had made against
many prominent people, including the
judges and ex-sheriff, have long been a
household word, and there are many who
believe that he will, If possible, carry
out those threats He has several
times escaped Jail, once at least
from the City Hall in Viii
mington, once or twice in Chestertown,
once in Georgetown; and his last break
for liberty was made from the Dover iail
about five years since. He was then re-
captured in Philadelphia and when
brought back an old Indictment was
pressed against him and he was
given ten years. Sheriff Robinson
Of Smyrna had charge OF the Jail then,
and he loaded Allen with chains and
bound him to the floor like wild beast,
and kept him this way at least during
his term. II was this treatment
and the fact that the court
extended his sentence that caused
him 90 utter the threats now so well re-
membered and it is generally accepted
that he viii fight to the death before he
will be taken
Sheriff Fennimore has offered $100 re-
ward for the capture Of the fugitives.
El nnnc At NInCt