The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-29
SANDBAGGED THE KEEPER.
ESCAPE FROM TRENTON PRISON OF
TWO THIRTY FEAR CONFLICTS.
Keeper Parker Knocked Senseless and
Robbed of the Keys and SsOo-The Fuai-
tIves also Got Two suits of Clothes.

Keeper Parker Knocked SenseIess and
Robbed of the Keys and 8sOo-Tbe Fuai-
tiVes also Got Two suits of Clothes.
| TRENTON, May 2s-A daring escape from the
! state prison took place at T:45 o'clock this
| evening. Tom Thomas and Henry Jackson,
both negroes were zach serving Il thirty years
! sentence. Monmouth county. about seven
| years ago, was terrorized by these men aud
three others who were never caught. They
robbed stores and residences. assaulted ard
| robbed citizens, and burned barns and dwell
| inCs. Thomas and Jackson were finally cap
| tured. Twenty odd indictments wero founl
against them. After their sentence they said
| thoy Would not serve half their terms Tho
! cells in Trenton prison arc built in the
masonry, and have double doors and double
sets of bars, The walls around tho
building are high and dinlcut 10 scale.
and watchmen armed with rifles stand
upon towers rising from lis roof, ready
at any hour of tho day or niIht
TO shoot down fleeing conycts. 1t is six and II
half years since Jackson and Thomas wcrc
brought to Trenton. They came in irons.
They were put to work making whips They
ksoon earned o reputation for industry AMI
peaceable habits From ono place OF trust
they went to another, ard during the past two
years they have been hall runners and walters.
Walters have the freedom OF the largest part
of the prison.
In the gathering dusk -niGht thoy put into
execution a ulan which was to give them lib
erty. Capt. Charles Parker. turnkey aged D.,
was on duty at the hugo street doors through
which arriving convicts pass. Thomas AID
Jackson we're lettering In the hall near the door.
Jackson had concealed in his shirt stocking
filed with sand. Every movement made b.
Capt. Parker was watched by the nero pgs-
main
of all savo the three mon. Capt Parker saun-
tered into the Office Of CHIEF Clerk
Mullen, to look out OF the Windows.
The chief clerk had COMO to his
homo in the city. His Office is in an alcove
directly or the main hall Capt. Parker had
scarcely reached the windows when Jacks son
erept up behind him as stealthiy as cGt. Tho
and was In Ills hand. With one noisoless blow
delivered on the back OF the head he Knocked
and the fan made little noise Capt. larkcr
was unconscious. Thomas. and Jackson rifed
to $500 a silver watch and chain beside his
bunch OF keys and revolver.
o, kn9Enc from the habits Of the night IN.
visited for some time. and that unless the
street door bell rang Capt: Parker would n,
second story Of tho prison and, entering the
private rooms OF Deputy Keepers John Caspar
na hen SSy I
scende4 hastily to the main hall, unlocked the
street door that was still unguardcd ana Mass
ed out into the street The Waterman on
the tower saw two figures gliding alons
the street in the darkness. but ii
is SO many years since any escape from the
prison had occurred that he had not the faint
est suspicion that they were convicis. lie
might have fired and struck them or given an
alarm. There are Biz blOodhounds kept inlthe
prison to hunt down escaped convicts. The
Two negroes made their way through the south
ern part OF the city In the direction OF Borden
town, and they are supposed to be in the woods
near that place tonight. Five minutes
missed. deputy Keeper Madden went into
Clerk Mullen's office to look Tor him,
and in the next. instant the alarm
was given and the entire force OF keerer5 was
astir. Capt. Parker, still unconscious. was put
to bod. pr. Reilly. the prison physician. at
yivod sufficiently to tell what had happened to
him. He said he always carried several hun
dTed dollars about with him.
Jackson and Thomas are each about 80 years
old. and by the Monmouth authorities ;hey arc
said 10 have come originally from New York
city. All tho deputy kecpers that could be
spared from tho prison are out securing the
city and suburbs for traces OF the tugitires.