Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-09

|
prison. There they encountered hig
stone wall, almost twice as high as the on
short ladder which they found. But
longer ladder was made, by the use of tn
short one and the addition Of various splice
of boards.
LIBERTY AT LAST.
The mending of the ladder occupied tw,
good hours. When it was finished, tn
prisoners climbed up the ricketv structur
to the top of the wall, drew up their ladde
and let it down on the outside. A momen
more and they were free. They were careful
to carry their ladder away, and to break i
up, so that it would not give warning of thu
manner of their escape.
"Hobnail'' Riley was the only man who
ever broke the Central Police station or
Diamond street 1t was probably in 1884
Riley was pickpocket who had stolen 6
watch from a pawnshop on Smithfeld
street. His escape from the station wa:
effected in daylight. Confederates on the
outside got upon the fiat roof of the station
house. forced open the skylight over The
corridor between the cells, and drew Riley
up by rope. His freedom was brief, fol-
| he was retaken the same day in Brownstown.
He was sent to the penitentiary for eight
years and half, and is still the guest of the
Commonwealth. His escape resulted in the
construction of strong iron grating under
the skylight. in the Central.
ESCAPE OF A WOMAN.
From the old police station of the Nine
teenth ward, which did duty before Mr.
Whitehouse's present handsome structure
was built, woman once escaped. At that
time no desk sergeant remained in the sta
tion during the daytime. The patrolman
who walked the beat including the station,
dropped in now and then on his rounds, to
see that no wicked persons carried away the
stove and other Office furniture. Patrolman
Fitzgerald, now a detective, arrested a
woman named Lizzie Wiggin, who was
wanted on a serious charge in Beaver
county. He locked her in a cell in TIE
Nineteenth ward station and went to g res
taurant in the East End to get her dinner.
When he returned the woman was gone.
Two of her friends had broken me lock of
the cell door with an iron bar.
Fitzgerald Immediately began a search
for the woman. He traced her down town,
and four hours after her escape be caught
her and her two male companions lust as
they were about to board Valley train at
the Union depot. The accomplices were
sent to the workhouse with six months SEN
tenceS, while the woman, being taken to
Beaver county, was tried and acquitted.
This breaking of the East End station led
Mayor Lyon to recommend the placing of
day sergeants in all the police stations, and
his suggestion was approved by Councils.
MOST REMARKABLE OF ALL.
The most remarkable case of escape from
the punishments OF the law was that of Ed
ward Brant, nearly foul, years ago. Its par
ticufars are familiar to many. Brant's
divorced wife lives in Allegheny. He was
a swindler of wholesale houses, and before
his operations here had defrauded Philadel-
phia merchants to the amount of 1000
He represented himself as being an agent
for responsible house In Erie. Giving
large orders for goods at several wholesale
houses, he had the goods delivered at the st.
Nicholas Hotel. In the evening the goods
were carried from the hotel in eight large
trunks and placed on a steamboat bound for
Wheeling. The fraud was discovered that
night. Brant was arrested at Wheeling,
brought to Pittsburg and sent to jail to
await trial.
After his Indictment in May for false pre-
tenses Brant began a peculiar course of
conduct. He pretended to be the victim of
epileptic fits, and exhibited bruises received
in falling upon his cell floor. Drs. Heron
and Hamilton, who examined him, were
convinced that the epilepsy was feigned.
Then he displayed paralysis and contortion
of the leg, but that likewise failed to per-
suade the doctors. Brant then proceeded
TO starve himself. From June to June so,
1856, he did not take bite of either LIQUID
or solid food, even refusing water. Alter
that time milk was forced down his throat,
the most of which, however, he Immediately
threw up.
NOT TOO OLD TO WORK
The sentimental sympathizers with Grim
lnals now came to the front. A number of |
men took up Brant's case, and secured his |
removal to the insane asylum at Dixmont |
As soon as he was safely installed there, he |
began to eat and drink, and soon recovered |
his strength. One day he was missing. He
has been missing ever since. 1t was learned |
hat he had, few years before, played the
same scheme in Michigan. where he had
been arrested for swindling. The scheme is
1 very old one with criminals, but is often
successful.
There were several escapes from the old
county Jail, but from the new one there has
been only one. A horsethief named Faulk-
ger broke out of the old Jail not many
years ago. He was an expert Jail breaker,
having escaped from the locks and bars OF
some of the strongest prisons in the country.
Jimmy Doran, a boy only II years old, enjoys
he singular distinction of being the only
prisoner who ever got out of the new county
all without the permission Of the Jail officers
Jimmy is precocious lad, and those who
know him say that he is character He
had been locked up on charge of larceny,
ind was in Jail awaiting trial. 1t was on
Washington's Birthday, 1889, that he
worked the lightning-rod route to liberty.
ENTIRELY TOO sPRY.
Jimmy, because he was 81 ry lad, was
et to cleaning the spittoons. To do that he
vas allowed to 60 into the Jail yard. While
hus occupied, the procession, with bands
md banners, marched up Ross street past
he jail. Jimmy heard the music, and made
Up his mind to go out and see the show. He
ook off his shoes, and climbing lightning
cd 20 feet high, he reached the Jail roof
Ind clambered over that to the Diamond
treet side.
After watching the parade for awhile he
climbed down another lightning rod to the
,round. Many people who saw him thought
lie was only venturesome newsboy who had
climbed to place of vantage to see the
narchers. Jimmy escaped in the crowd.
About month ago he was caught in Sec
md scrape in Allegheny, and was sent up
" Alderman Tatem for larceny. He is
gain in the county Jail awaiting sentence.
This time he is not allowed to clean
pittoons.