Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-05-23
DARING CONVICTS.
SOME DESPERATE ATTEMPTS
TO ESCAPE FROM JAIL.
Successful and Unsuccessful Efforts
to Get Out of the Indiana State
Prison-Killing Guard.

Accompanied by guide, a Cincin-
natti Enquirer correspondent has been
visiting the Indiana State Prison at JEFF
fersonville. Passing the dollhouse, the
guide pointed out the cleverest piece of
work ever done in the prison by Jail
breaker.
wiinam Mcbride, concerned in the
Brownstown Post-ofice robbery, sawed
off the bars of his cell-door in such o
manner as to defy detection, and taking
advantage of fair opportunity he
crawled through the aperture and made
daring but unsuccessful attempt to get
away.
A short while afterward Mcbride
again sought to regain his liberty, and
lost his life in the attempt. He had
succeeded in reaching the chapel win
dow, through which he attempted to
reach the roof by walking alonga narrow
coping. just as he had passed the most
perilous place his foot slipped, and he
fell headlong to the paved court,
fifty feet below, dashing out his brains
and breaking his neck.
A hole in the floor in the wash-room
of the hospital explained the absence, a
few days since, Of Nick Hudson and
Omri Thompson. Descending by this
mode of exit into the Jail yard, the fugi-
tiyes secured ladder from the engine
room, set it up against the wall, and in
twinkling were making for the knobs
back of New Albany.
As q reward of 800 is given for the
apprehension of runaway prisoners, a
large number of citizens joined III the
pursuit, which lasted several hours.
Nearer and nearer to their prey came
the pack of human bloodhounds, to
whom hunting down escapes has become
both pleasure and profit. Unable
TO shake off their pursuers, Hudson and
Thompson at last succumbed to exhaus-
ton, and were captured without blow
being struck.
The last successful attempt to escape
was made last Monday by colored
convict named Napier, who is also a
fugitive from the Kentucky prison at
Frankfort. Securing suit OF clothes
such rs the non-conviet foremen wear,
be put it on under his suit of stripes.
While passing at noon time a connect
ng link between two wings of the prison,
where the carpenters h d erected q
scaffolding, Napier quietly dropped out
of the ranks, scampered up the scaffold-
ing like cat, dropped down the wall
and thence to the ground and away.
He is supposed to be lurking in the
vicinity, but small hope is entertained
of his recapture. Napier is from Louis
vile, where he once led the detectives
and coppers a merry nide-and-seek for
three months before they got him.
There has never been any organized
revolt among the prisoners in the insti-
tuition, but a number of desperate and
bloody encounters between escaping
convicts and the prison guards have oc-
Cured. The most exciting perhaps of
these afrays occurred May IL, 1874,
which resulted in the death of two men.
Two prisoners, Bill Kennedy, sent
from Indianapolis, and AL Apologize,
by some means secured firearms, and
watching their opportunity, made
break through the main entrance, at
which guard named Chamberlain was
stationed.
Two unarmed convicts, Newport, from
Lawrenceburg, and William Stanley,
joined the fugitives. Chamberlain gave
the alarm, and started in pursuit, firing
no i4t iuifs UurN tftNt vi bAlN yilcttA AiltlO-
sure Kennedy turned ON his heel and
fired at Chamberlain, who dropped
dead.
Pat Haley, the veteran guard, saw
Chamberlain fall, and jumping from the
tower ON the wall to the ground, took
up the pursuit, joined by other guards
and large number of citizens,
Haley gained rapidly ON the fleeing
man, and seeing that he would soon be
overtaken, Kennedy stopped and fired
several times at the officer, but without
effect. Haley's pistol missed fire, having
got out of order, else he would have GER
tainly sIot Kennedy, who threw away
his empty gun and threw up his hands,
saying: "It's no use, l can't hit you"
Meantime a running fight was being
waged between Apologize, Port and
Stanley ON the one side and the crowd
of pursuers ON the other, some of the
latter of whom were armed with shot
guns. Port was shot dead in his flight
and the others were shortly recaptured.
Kennedy was tried Tor the murder Of
Chamberlain, and after three trials he
was sent to prison for life. Kennedy is
now about forty-three years old. He
was kept in irons four years, which
seems to have broken his spirits, as he
has never since made any attempt to
escape.
The arms which Kennedy and Apple
gate had in their possession were Snug
gled into the prison by the notorious
Bill Rodifer, himself the hero of most
sensational escapes from the prison.
Rodifer's last escape was made early |
in the winter of 1875, in the very face of
a guard who had been placed over him |
at night because of his frequent escapes. |
Notwithstanding the precautions taken,
Rodifer eluded Schell, his guard, who /
in the morning was found locked in the |
prisoners cell, while the bird had
climbed water pipe and disappeared |
over the wall Once Rodifer rode out 1
of the prison on the top of wagon, and I
another time secreted himself over the /
Office and made sneak ont of the front 4
door during the night. Rodifer's fate /
forms one Of the most sensational chap /
tiers in the criminal history Of Indiana. I