The Portland daily press., 1890-04-25
PLANNED TWO MURDERS.
whitney and Fosters Scheme to Es-
cape From Bangor jail.

FARMINGToN, April 24.-The Pennington
Chronicle prints the following:
Whitney and Foster, who will be remem-
bered as the robbers Of Peter Bennett and
were arrested by Messrs. Alonzo Sylvester
and AID. Horn of Pennington. tried In Ban
g0r and sentenced to State Prison for 10
years, concocted dlab0lical scheme while
in Bangor Jail to make their escape,-the
sign-and but for the weakening" of one of
the gang. they might have been at liberty
today. The details Of 1t have not appeared
" any paper but the accuracy OF the story
told by one high in authority and fully post
ed about 1t.
Among the inmates of Bangor Jail, beside
whitney and Foster, were Stain and Crom-
we'll. the Barron murderers The first two
named, with Cromwell, were In the second
floor tier Of cells side by side, while Stains
cell was on the ground floor tier and on the
opposide side Of the building. 1t will be re-
membered that Whitney and Foster had
made several unsuccessful attempts to es-
cape; and as the day for their trial drew
near they became desperate.
The night turnkey of the jail was large
and powerful man, and he was always fully
armed and prepared to quell any revolt
among the prisoners. His duties, however,
turnkey, Mr.. Hathaway, came on duty. He
was also powerful man. but was not armed
and he was alone on duty till after six
O'Clock, at which time the sheriff and family
were astir.
Whitney and Foster saw that their only
possible way OF escape was to overcome
Hathaway, ana II they could do this, they
had a clear road to walk out of the Jail and
escape. This is the plan they conceded: An
hour or so after the arrival on duty Of the
day turnkey, each prisoner was released to
go to the lavatory, carrying with them heavy
iron cell buckets Whitney and Foster took
Cromwell into their confidence, probably tell
ing him that If old man Stain was put out of
the way by IAN accident" his chances for es-
cape would be better. Be that as 1t may,
Cromwell assented to the plan. Whitney in
some way obtained an ordinary table-k knife
and this he ground down to a sharp point.
1t was arranged that as the prisoners filed
along the corridors with their iron buckets,
on the return from the lavatory Fostt r
should be directly over Stain-as the latter
walked along the corridor to enter his cell
and he was to drop his iron bucket, appar-
emily accidentally, upon Stains head and
crush him to the floor. Naturally enough
there would be great excitement and all
would rush to Stains assistance. 1t was ar
ranged to have Turnkey Hathaway be the
was STOPPING over to raise him up, Whitney,
who would be near by, was to plunge his
knife into Hathaway's back to the heart.
Then the way out of the Jail would be per-
fectly clear-,nobody stirring in the sheriff's
house-and the prisoners would walk out to
liberty unmolested.
The night before this devilish scheme was
to be consummated, Cromwell-whO had
probably been talked with by his counsel or
friend, and thinking the prospects for his
release goodL"weakened" and told Jail
official the whole scheme, the knife was
found upon Whitney and taken away, and
what might have resulted in the death of
two men was happily avoided.