Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-07-20

had whitfield into the shape OF pistol
and covered with the tinfoil from his
cut chewing tobacco
The escape of Red Leary, the notori.
ous bank robber. from Ludlow street
| Jail, where he was held to await ex.
tradition papers from Massachusetts
for the Northampton bank affair, when
81, 500, 600 was taken, was sensational
and for some time inexplicable. In
vestigation. however, showed that
Leary had had the assistance of expe-
rienced accomplices on the outside. At
noon on the eventful day, May Z, 1879,
he was visited by his wife, who acted
as the ''go-between." Leary's friends
had hired room in the house next
door to the Jail, and had picked their
way through to closet at the end OF
the third tier of cells. the bricks and
mortar being taken out carefully and
piled in the fireplacs of their apart
ment
Mrs. Leary notified her husband that
all was ready. and he crawled through
the hole to liberty. Leary was al
lowed the run of the corridor until
nalf-past ten o'clock, which was his
time for retiring, SO that it was some
hours before his escape was dis
covered. He accordingly had no trou-
bic in eluding his pursuers
Besides Red Leary there was another
of the Northampton bank robbers who
managed to get out of Ludlow street
jail while awaiting extradition. Billy
Connors was the name of this worthy,
and his escape is perhaps the coolest
on record. He contrived to secure an
impression of the jail lock. from which
his friends on the outside made key
Connors, pulling his hat down over his
eyes, selected moment when none of
the guards was looking and sauntered
out of the building with as much nom
chalance as though he were the warden
himself Once in TIE street, his won
derful nerve did not desert him. for,
despite the fact that his absence might
be discovered at any moment, when
pursuit would of course, result, he did
not quicken his pace until he had ar
rived at the lodgings which had been
secured for him. Connors escaped in
1877 and was not recaptured until 1881.
William J. Sharlxey is supposed to be
a soldier in the Spanish army at the
present time. He escaped from the
Tombs November 10, 1878, while under
conviction for the brutal murder of
Robert s. Dunn. While awaiting sem
tence of death stay of proceedings
was granted Sharkey now occupies a
unique and decidedly unenviable posi-
ton, for he is the only man in the
world who could be legally hanged in
the state of New York, as his convic-
ton occurred years before the electro
cution law had ever been suggested
Sharkey was assisted in his escape
by his sweetheart, Maggie Jourdan,
an extremely pretty girl whose devo-
ton he repaid wi tn blows and kicks
after she had, at imminent peril to her
self, snatched him from the very shadow
of the gallows. Maggie seemed to be
fascinated by Sharkey. She was in the
habit of visiting him every day. The
prison officials were charmed by her
pretty face and quiet manner, and they
sympathized with her in her affection.
She walked into the Tombs on the day
of Sharkey's escape without exciting
suspicion. She wore two complete
suits of women's apparel. In her low
er's cell one of these was quickly |
taken off by her and put on him.
Sharkey then shaved off his mustache,
and drawing green veil tightly about |
his face walked out on to Center street |
free man.
A few moments later Maggie Jour
dan left the building. She had tick
ct, as also did Sharkey, but Mrs. Yves
Allen, sister-in-law of The Allen, had
none; and this caused an investigation
which revealed the fact that the choic-
est bird in the gloomy old cage had
flown. 1t was also developed that on
her visit the previous day Maggie had
taken an impression in wax of the lock
on the door of her lovers cell, and
when she came to liberate him she was
provided with key which worked per-
fectly. Maggie was arrested for com
plieity in the escape, but could not be
convicted.
Michael O'Connor was a worthy
brother of "Wily" O'Connor, the notori-
Gus burglar. In fact he surpassed him
as an escaper II not as an operator.
Michael was an exceedingly enterpris-
ing and pushing individual, and when
he was but twenty-six years of age had
broken out of half dozen prisons. In
1887, he and a companion
robbed a jewelry store at Pittsfield,
Mass. They were captured at Great