New-York tribune., 1890-05-29
OuT OF TRENTON PRISON.
TWO NEGRO CoNvICTS ESCAPE BY SAND
BAGGlNG A TURNKEY.
THEY coo11Y ROB THE UNCONSCIOUS MAN AND
y STEAL TWO SUITS OF CLoTHEs-IhEN 0N'
LOCKING THE STREET DOOR THEY
SLIP AWAY WITHOUT At
rEACTIXG ATTENTION.
INV 1r,rCnApH TO THE TKiBUNE.'


Nav oe-rhe most daring
.na ;n ,hs long history of the New-JerSey State
pr;son ,ook place from that institution at
.. . o'clock this evening. IL was planned
- - s,,ooossfnIlv executed by " Tom" Thomas and
H., Jackson both negroes, serving thlrty-year
.o.,oroes Monmouth County seven years ago
...oa ,.rrorized by these and three others who
,r.re never caught. They robbed stores and
dwellings,. waylaid people at night and beat them,
and burned barns and houses. The declaration
made by them after their sentence that they
wouh not serve half their term was laughed at,
for escapes from the Trenton prison are few and
far between The cells are built in the masonry
and have double doors and double sets of bars.
The walls around the building are high and diff
cult TO scale, and watchmen armed with rifles
stand upon towers rising from its roof,
ready at any hour of the day night
10 shoot down fleeing convicts II is SIX and a
half years since Jackson and Thomas were brought
10 Trenton. They came in irons and the prison
officials feel tonight as though they should have
always have been kept in them. Tlcy were put
TO work making whips, and soon earned reputa-
tion for industry and peaccable habits To he
good was part Of their plan TO get ont of the
prison. From one place of trust they went 10
another, and in the last two years have been
hall runners or walters. Convicts who are walt
ers have the freedom of the larger part of the
prison
About dusk tonight they pnt into execution
the stroke that was to give them liberty. Cap
tain Charles Parker. turnkey. age fl1y-live. was
on duty at the huge street doors through Which
arriving convicts pass on their way to the Cen
tre," where a description of them IS catered on
the prison books. Thomas and jackson were
Lott IN fba hall rlp n 4
concealed in his shirt stocking filled with
sand Every movement OF Captain Parker
was watched by the negro prisoners. AT the hour
indicated, the main hall was completely deserted
by all save the three men, Captain Parker
sauntered into the office of Chief Clerk Mullen
TO peer out Of the windows. The chief clerk had
gone TO his home in tie heart of the city. Ills
Office is in an acove directly of the main hall
Captain Parker had scarcely reached the win
dOws, when Jackson crept up behind him stealth
lily as a cat. The Sandbag had been drawn from
beneath his shirt and was in his hand. With
one terrific and noiseless blow, delivered in the
back OF the head, he knocked the old turnkey
Gown. The office floor is carpeted and his fail
created no disturbance whatever The blow dealt
him so hard Captain Parker sank unconscious.
Thomas and jackson riRed his pockets. getting
roll Of bills amounting 10 $500, a silver watch
and chain, besides a huge bunch of keys and a
revolver. Knowing, from the habits of the
nlent 0nclalS, IndJ tlerk Mullen once WOuu
not be visited for some time. and that, unless
the street-door bell rang, Captain Parker would
not be missed the two convictS ran up into the
second story of the prison, and entering the pri-
yate rooms of Deputy Keepers John Casper and
ing spring overcoats. Then they descended hastily
to the main hail. unlocked the strect-door that
was still unguarded and passed out into the
street
The watchman the tower two figures
gliding along the street in the darkness: but so
many years have elapsed since any break from
the prison had occurred he had not the
faintest suspicion that they convicts
He might have fired on them or
given an alarm which would have released
six bloodhounds TO hunt them down. They made
their way through the southern part of the
city, in the direction of BordentOwn. and are sup
posed to be in the woods near that place tonight
Five minutes. in less time than that, after
their departure. Captain Parker was missed
Deputy Keeper Madden went into Clerk Mulen's
office 70 look for him. and instantly gave the
alarm. Captain Parker, still unconscious. was
put 70 bed. Dr. Reilly, the prison physician, is
attending him. At p. m. Parker revived suf-
fcientlv to tell what had happened. He said
he always carried several hundred dollars in
his pockets
Jackson and Thomas are each about thirty
years old, and by the Monmouth authorities
are said 10 have come originally from Ncw.York
City All the deputy keepers that could be spared
from the prison searched the city and suburbs
tonight for the fu4itves Since they carried
away clothing belonging 10 Deputies Casper and
Bergen. ii is believed that they at once cast
off their convict suits.