Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-11-24
TuNNELLED rwo YEARS.


Three ConyiOts who Escaped from Prison
and Were Kecaptured' shortly After.
WAUPUN, Wis, Nov. 24.-Robert NJ
West, John StaRg and Ferdinand Mack,
the three life convicts who tunnelled
their way out Of the penitentiary and
were recaptured "a hours later, have
just been released from the solitary
cells where they were placed after their
return. All three men were employed
in the prison wash house. In the west
end of this building is the boiler, at the
south end of which is brick wall open
10 feet deep.
The men began operations on the east
wall of CHS we'll about eight feet below
the floor surface. They removed enough
brick to make square passagew way large
enough to permit the passage of a mans
body. They then fastened the removed
brick to board, making a door which,
when closed, left the wall with every
appearance of undisturbed solidity.
Beginning here they turned east about
four feet, turned to the north and went
a distance of six feet, and then west
directly under the washroom boiler and
through the wall of the house, thence
under the alley to and through the main
foundation wall of the workshop into q
venience in running water and steam
pipes about the building.
After using the full length OF the
ditch they dug under the shop wall
again, beneath an alley roadway, a dis
tance of 40 or so feet, and then under
the wall surrounding the prison build
ings and to the surface and the out
side world.
The men could work only few mo-
ments at time consecutively, and they
were obliged to remove and dispose of
| all the dirt and rock encountered in the
tunnelling of over go feet without
taking it outside the walls or awaken
| ing suspicion.
The three men worked by turns in the
tunnel for nearly two years, and
through the administration of three
wardens. A system of telegraph kept
the digger informed of the movements
| of prison officials above. Occasionally
the plotters became alarmed, and aban-
| doned their work for weeks at a time.
But fear of the coming of winter and its
attending obstacl es in tunnelling in the
earth set them at their labor with re-
! newed energy. At last everything was
ready for the escape.
While the rest of the prisoners were
in the yard at o'clock, the murderers
dropped into their hole and began to
burrow their way to freedom. They
were not missed until the guards made
| their report at o'clock. 1t was snow
ing and raining when the murderers
emerged from the tunnel. Although
still clad in their prison robes they
struck boldly across the country. Th'
snow obliterated their tracks for time
but when morning came the tracks O
heavy prison shoes were plainly seen il
the slush.
After leaving the prison the fugitive
went north. They circled around tn
town to the east, and again started
pursuers off the scent. Before 8 o'cloc
and when they had covered Thirteen
miles, old man Stage weakened physi
cally and sank exhausted by the roadside
He could go no further, and the questi o
of leaving him by the roadside to die o
of being recaptured came up for con
sideration.
West took up Stage, with the aid {
Mack, and carried him to the neares
farmhouse. The granger was averse
receiving them, but West had So, an
for 25 cents each secured shelter for tn
rest of the night. The trio were awak
and up at daylight, and when the
| emerged from the house they found tn
road full of men looking for them, an
without resistance they surrendered.
West had spent % years in the prison
, and his work of two years Jas we'll 6
that of his comrades, with finger nal
3 and WORKOUT Ratchet through har
clay and stone walls, was sold for
hours of freedom.