Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-30
A THRILLING ESCAPE.
How Burglar NuldOOn Sawed His
Way Out Of Auburn Prison.
SAVED BY A TINY CORSET STEEL
1t Was the Work of Months and Required Q
Good Deal of Nerve.
HIS ADVENTURES DURING FLIGHT

ber the escape of Benjamin Muldoon, a con-
yict, from AubHrn prison on September 15
last. The authorities have been unable to
prehenslon, but it is learned that ne Is now
at work in Canadian village. The storyof
his escape is most interesting.
DIuldoon is still a young man, being
about q years of age. In the spring Of 1882
he was indicted in Syracuse for burglary
and grand larceny, and was sentenced to 18
years at hard labor. Being possessed of
more than the average ability, he soon be-
came the most expert workman inside the
walls, and there are few machinists, convict
or citizen. who excel him in certain lines.
For the last six years of his confinement he
was intrusted with the repair of all the ma
chlEery used in the shops. As this work
had to be done at night to prevent shutting
down during the regular hours OF labor,
Muldoon was usually employed at least
three nights in the week when the guards
were off the walls.
A CORSET STEEL SAW.
About year ago Muldoon made up his
mind to "beat the place." Accordingly,
be IN some way procured a bit of corset
steel, from which he made saw so fragile
that it seems all but impossible for it to
have aided him in any way. This saw he
hid in the sole of his shoe. The plan was
to saw from its fastenings stationary lad
der leaning against the end of one of the
shops, used as means of ascent to the roof.
With this ladder he hoped to scale the
walls.
AS it was possible to work at saving away
the fastenings only at night, Muldoon' S first
necessity was to escape the scrutiny OF his
guard. To this end he took occasion, on
the trst night he was taken out after work
had been resumed, to ask permission to visit
a remote part OF the shops to sharpen his
tools. He repeated the request, and con-
tinued to do so till the Official, becoming
convinced OF his integrity, left him to his
own devices. But he never dared remain
away longer than ten minutes, and his work
proceeded almost as slowly and painfully as
that OF Monte Cristo and the old Able.
HOW HE HID THE WORK.
He filled the narrow cre7ices with a COM
pound of putty and iron filings, so that
very close scrutiny would be necessary to
detect anything out OF place. AS the top
OF the ladder rested against the roof the
| saving away of the irons made no differ
| ence with its use, and no one discovered
what had been done. The last bar was cut
through during the early part of August,
and two nights later Muldoon attempted to
escape, but found that the ladder was six
| feet shorter than the height OF the wall. He
barely had time to return it TO its place
when the guard began looking for him. He
explained his absence by feIgning sickness,
| though he faneicd that the guards suspi-
| cions had been aroused.
On the next night that he was at liberty
| Muldoon measured a water pipe entering
horizontally through the wall from the out
side supply basin, and found it to be seven
feet above the ground. With this as 4
basis OH which to rest the ladder be would
be able to reach the summit of the wall.
| AS previously stated, he did not get away
till September Is. In the meantime he had
ptocured keepers discarded coat, which
he hid beneath a pile of rubbish. He was
permitted 10 wear during working hours a
pair of bio oyeralls. He accordingly dis
carded his prison coat and trousers, and
wore only his underclothes beneath the
overalls and the stolen coat. He had
neither hat nor shirt but hoped to obtain
them somewhere on his way to s1fety.
MADE 4 BIG NOISE.
IT was about 2 \. NJ. when Muldoon sue
ceeded in getting leave Of absence from the
| guard. Hastily changing his clothes. he
| dragged the ladder to the wall mounted to
the water pipe, thence elevated the ladder to
| precarious footing, with its bottom rung
resting on the plpe, and, with trembling
| limbs, assembled. When he reached the top,
| the ladder fell making a noise that sounded
| louder than cannon to his overstrained
i ears. Not daring to wait an instant, he
| sprang outward, striking the walk
so heavily that he fell backward to the
| ground. A policeman down the street
heard the sound, and came running forward,
but Muldoon lay in the shadow of the walk
and was not discovered.
| AS Soou tho raIican,au bod dirappoarad
the fugitive, fancying he heard unusual
noises inside the prison, sprang to his feet
| and ran blindly up the street. In few
! blocks he came to a railroad-the Auburn
branch of the New York Central, as he
afterward ascertained-and, turning of, he
| continued running along the track, Stacking
his pace to "dog trot, which he kept up
for hours. Just as the dawn was breaking
! in the East, Muldoon dropped in his tracks,
unable to go Il step further. Crawling into
an adjoining wood, he slept till evening.
Just at dusk, very sore and weak from fast
| ing and the excitement and exertion of the
| preceding night, he walked painfully to
! neighb0ring farmhouse and asked for food.
NARROW ESCAPE.
The woman to whom he applied looked
| curiously at him and asked why he had no
hat His reply was that some boys had
stolen it while he slept. She appeared satis-
| fed with this explanation and set some
| food before him on tine kitchen table, alter
| ward leaving the room. He began to eat,
! when it occurred to him that her absence
was suspicious. Going to the window he
| saw two men running toward the house from
I a neichboring barn. Muldoon ran out the
| door on the instant and sprang over q fence
| into an orchard. The men called TO him to
stop and began pursuing him, but he man.
| aged to reach the wood where he had slept,
| and in the darkness escaped.
As soon as they had ceased searching for
| him Muldoon again started westward along
the track. He was able to walk but slowly,
! and in an hour did not walk further than a
mile, He then came TO u wayside water
tank, near a little hamlet. The tank tender
was eating his luncn from basket. Null
| doom gazed hungrily at the food, and the
| man, noting his starved look. invited him to
share his meal. He thankfully accepted
the invitation, and began questioning the
man regarding distances to various Western
cities.
| DETECTED AT LAST.
The replies appalled, him; he never would
| be able to travel so far on foot. He there
| fore asked the tender il he could not slip
| quietly into boxcar, and steal i ride. The
| map appeared interested in his desire to
! travel, and asked him innumerahle ques-
/ tions. At last he took Muldoon's breath
away by saying:
81 think L know you; you're the man that
| got away from Auburn last night"
| Muldoon could not deny it. He burst
into tears and begged not to be betrayed.
''That's all right," said the tank tender.
| ii s..I-- = - L.