Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-12-05
kNoTuER ESCAPE FROM JAIL-Johr


ANOTHER ESCAPE FROM JAIL-John
4. Bruce, who ha, been figuring under
several aliases, and who had been con.
fined in Jail in this city rs prospective
candidate for the penitentiary, escaped
RON that institution early Saturday
night in IN apparently easy manner.
Bruce. it Will be remembered. was
charged with robbing the ticket office of
the Richmond and Danviilc Railroad in
tais city on the night OF the 10Th of last
October, He was arrested u day ortw0
later in Baltimore with the ticiletsin MS
possession and subsequently, lie was
brought to this city. Al Braces exam
nation before Mayor Strauss Detective
Hogan, OF Baltimore. who made the ar
rest Ticket Broker Pike. OF the same
city TO whom Bruce offered the tickets
5cr sale and l.. :. Brown. passenger
aEent Of the L. * ID. road in Washing
ton. were present. The stolen tickets
were in the nature Of blanks to he filed
in by the agent selling them. and they
needed also the official stamp of the
company to become valid \ stamp
maker of Washington. who was present
- the examination. testified hat. the
urisoner Il few days previously had en-
ploN'ed him to make rubber stamp
with he words National Insurance
Company. Washington Station on it,
Bruce. ii was alleged, cut the three first
names from the stamp and printed the
remaining two G.. Washington Station J
g., hon N-1ptn ~, no
bsnE spaces ''Chmlottes ''uc, louis
Vie, Staunton, Bristol, and the
names OF several other places, after
which he offered the tickets Tor "a e.
The puiies named above recognized
the prisoner and Mayor Strauss sent
him on for the grand Jury A futile ut
iempt-WaS then made 10 get picture
of him. but Notwithstanding every eff
Tort WAS used to mold him in position
he coutor;ed bis face in such manner
and shut and opened his eyes so rapid
ly that tine pictures secured proved
worthless. After Bruce had been III
ial but few days it was found that he
had been endeavoring to pave a way OF
escape by cutting through the wooden
wIiuscoting in the upper room in which
j was confined lie WAS then placed
u q cell on the first floor. and Il stricter
surveillance kept over him. Those ac-
Guainted with the geography of the jail
viii remember that Il corridor runs
from the west to the east on the first
lloor ut the t;,r end of which is a room
I'm which the members OF the chain
gang are usually coralled. This cor
ridor, from which door opens into The
yard. Is the area the ordinary prison
ers are allowed to use during part of
She day At night they are supposed
20 bclocked in the cells or rooms. 1t
was the fatal mistake of allowing this
desperate character the freedom of this
corridor. which facilitated or made his
t.sctpe an easy matter, IS all he had TO 90.
II seems. was to watch his opportunity
anl walk out. That opportunity. ac
cordiug to the jail attendants, present
ed itselfbetween five and six o'clock
Saturday evening while the chain gang
was entering after the labors of the
day. Those whose business it Is to
keep an espionage on the prisoners
seemed to have suddenly been hypAo-
fized. dazed or oblivious to their sur
roundings and responsibilities NJ the
time. aud the alleged bUrElar-thici,
while the chain gang entered, quietly
slipped out, carrying under his arm the
RIG with which be subsequently sealed
the wall. Secreting himselfin the yard
until the clatter of tin pans, knives
and forks informed him that the prison
supper was being discussed. ne rn-
wound his ladder improyised from he'd
Clothes, attached brick TO one end,
.hreW il over the corner Of the wall
which he soon mounted, walked
70 an adjoining friendly she'd and
was SIS soon as light-hearted as his an
oieut patron saint. Jack Sheppard after
he had dug his way out OF NeWgate.
Later. when The formula &C examining
Jbe cell Goors was proceeded with,
BruccS absence was noticed and y
search instituted. bat by that time the
bird had flown In the past few years
several criminals have managed to
make their escape from the J5leNan-
,lria JAIL the most noticeable ia
st;mee being that Of Billy Williams,
ne,d on the charge ofmurdering Police
mau arnold some w0rkmen had been
engaged ON that occasion in repairing
the pr son wall. and had left their lad
der resting on the ground and on the
CAMPING. The officials turned the III
mates OF the Jail into the yard ior exer-
else. either to rgetting or losing sight OF
the fact that ..he ladder was resting
against the wall. OF course. = desper-
ate man like Williams lost no time III
availiug himself of such an opportunity
of regaining his freedom and soon IN
creased the distance between himself
aud prison bars. City Sergeant Smith
has offered $25 for Bruce's capture.
The fugitive is between - and 80 years
of age inclined to be stout; slightly
below the average in stature rather
neat-looking, and possessed Of some
personal pulchritude When arrested
he were 4 moustache, the ends Of which
appeared to be waved. He has quiet,
determined look, but his countenance is
one which others save phrenologists
would not feel Unsuitable in pronounc-
ing honest. His carriage in the police
court when first arrested proved TO all
who studied him that either by drilling
or experience he had learned TO play
his part while in the clutches of the
law
Mr.. DANENHowER's RESIDENCE
Mr. Washington Dnenhower, Of this
-. ,S inst COMPLETED nm elegant res