Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-02-21

clothes OF the inmates. This sewing
room was lighted by two windows,
defended by bars, OF course. OF this
room was a store room and Mrs.
Newman. as the little woman was
called, had the key to this and was in
charge. There was but one window
in this room. Mrs. Newman was the
last person l should have picked out
as a plolter. Indeed, should not
have expected her to 60 out had the
doors been left open.
One midsfternoon it was reported
that the little lady was missing, and
fifteen minutes later l had discovered
that she had gone by the window.
Where she got file never could
learn, but she procured one somehow
and fled off three bars. She was en-
gagged at this work for three months.
When she got ready to go she made
stout rope of cloth, fasteded one end to
a remaining bar and then slid down to
the earth 10 safety. She had secretly
made herself a cap and cloak, and
she walked off two blocks, boarded a
street ear, and was soon out OF the
neighborhood. A trifing circumstance
led to her capture that same night. If
she had planned to moet friends, they
had not come on. She had no money,
and though the conductor did not put
her off on the this account. she was
Hurried by the situation. She got off
at street running out into the coun-
try, and walked briskly away. hap
hened to take this same car two hours
later, and over heard the conductor
relating the circumstance. | caught
at the idea that /, was Mrs Newman,
and at 10 o'clock that night I found
her in farm house ten miles away
She laughed merrily, and hoped |
would bear her no i'll will,
The assistant forewoman in the
laundry was q Mrs. Williams, who
had been sentenced to seven years
Imprisonment for manning child she
had adopted. She had been in three
years when l took charge, She
claimad to be the victim of a con-
spiracy but seemed content to bide
her time. OFF the laundry was a large,
'oadly-llghted room which had been
intended for refractory cells, but
which had never been finished uo.
The room was now used as catch all
for the laundry. There were eleven
women in the laundry, and in doing
what she did Mrs. Williams had to
blind them all. One end of this room
was toward the side street, and the
wall was three feet deep, and sunk six
or seven feet into the ground. The
floor was of concrete A month be-
fore I came the forewoman was taken
sick and Mrs. Williams was promoted
to her place She could now pass
anywhere about the laundry unques-
toned, and she at once began working
on plan to escape Her tools were
an old hatchet and small fire shovel,
and she began digging from the room
described to undermine the wall. She
was never absent from the laundry
over quarter of an hour at time.
and could not work at her digging
over two hours per day. The other
women saw her go and come, but it
was not their business to inquire into
her movements.
In about seventy days Mrs. Will,
liams had gone down under the wall
and was ready to break the surface of
ground on the other side. She would
not risk daylight, as the other had
done, but waited nearly week until
some extra wash gave her an excuse to
remain in the laundry an hour later
than usual. She had been gone half
an hour before she was missed, and it
was full hour before the means of
exit was discovered. The dirt had
been carried to the rear of the room
and flung behind some old tubs and
mangles, and she had done her work
as we'll as the craftiest man. She had
likewise got aold of bread and meat
and when she got into the street she
only went two squares before hiding
herself in horse barn. The owner
had no horse, and as it was summer
time the woman could not suffer lying
on the hay upstairs There was wa
ter below, and she economical her
food to make it last as long as posi-
bic. Immediately that her escape was
discovered, I used every exertion to
secure her recaptu-e, having depots
watched and the country secured in
every direction. A week passed and
I could not obtain the slightest clue.
Then one night barn on the alley OPP
poslte the one she was hidden in was
set on fire, and before the engines g1t
to work the roof of the other WAS
ablaze | happened to be early ON
the spot, and what was my aston
ishment when Mrs Williams quietly
opened the alley door and walked
plump into my arms. She shed tsars
of vexation when returned to her old
quarters having made up her miad
that her escape was assured.
Another of the inmates who pulled
the wool over my eyes for the mo-
| t-.A ~,o.o M;oo Hutobio, u,ho uy q