New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-10
AN ESCAPE FROM THE TOMBS.
A DARING BURGLAR DIGS HIS WAY
THROUGH A THICK STONE WALL.

HE LETS HIMSELF FROM THE TOP 'ToRY OF |
THE CITY PRISON BY ROPES MADE OF
SHEETS AND BLANKETs-CARELE S
KEEPERS TO BE DISCHARGED.
An escape from the Tombs, extraordinary and
unprecedented was Effected by John Meyer. prisoner
awaiting tra! for burglary. on Thursday night. lhere
had been such escape in New-iorl since the City
Prison erected In Ccnt,es'. william |
>harkey, II murderer, walked out OF the Tombs
eighteen years ago In the attire OF VI gle Joidah'
who had been permitted visit him in his cell but
John Meyer fairly cut his way out of IN" prison on
thursday night and had no help In his work
Meyer fined in cell No 100. on IT," fourth
or uop story OF the old prison in the middle OF the
block bounded by Centre. Leonard, Elm ara franhn
sts The rear wall OF cell is made of solid
masonry. eighteen inches thick. 4 narrow slit near
the top Of the cell admits light from the direction OF
t.lm-st Near the floor CT the cell there had Dceh
another nair row slit in the wall for the PURPOSE OF
ventilation. Through the opening In the heavy iron
door AT the front OF tho cell the keepers who p,tolei
the fourth tier could look IN at Meyer AS often rs
they chose. II their duty to make cdr"1ui
examination Of the interior Of the cell at Last twi'"
every twenty four hours In accodHnce win the orlers
Of John rallon the warden There was no furniture
I'm the cell except iron DOT, with n mattress ana
SOME plain bedding. A rope crossed several times
ON the framework of the cot supported the mattress
in place.
Never managed to wrench from the three OF the
iron braces The longest measured less than three ee
and the shortest barely foot in length with
ihrs, rod, he fist tore away the pastering on the
inside Of the rear wall Of the cell for the space Of
oo or more on each side OF the slit near the hoor
The slit outlined by a heavy iron SASH "hlch
was set deeply into the masonry. Meyer aug away
the mortar until lie able to loosen and take OUT
the strong sash. Then he attacked the SOL sasohiy
of the wall, digging away the mortar between me
blocks Of stone and prying stone after ano'h'r'
1, his cot was M the rear Of the cell. he
must have lain under the cot keeping himself
concealed b. the overhancng hearlothes from the
view OF tie keepers. AS he removed the stone, IT IN
their places In the wall he laid them In piles under
the cot. Of the stones thus moved out OF 'he
wall weighed nearly 200 pounds. When Meyer had
finished the work OF digging he had made A ragged
hale In thu wall which large enorgh TO let his
tody pass through.
Having made the hole through the wall. Meyer
had next to manufacture rope by which NJ couid
:ower himself outside the prison to the stone pave
neat Of the courtyard, fifty feet blow the opening
IN. rope which helped 10 keep the mattress Oh the
Framework of the Only few feet IN length
He pieced II out the required distance by tearing
the sheet. AMI blanket, Of his bed Into long strips
and twisting them together. lie also made second
rope In the same way knowing that he wouid heeu
II I'm letting over the outer wall of the prison. one
II was about p. m. when Meyer let himself oo""
the rope out side the wan Of his cell and dropped 10
| III. courtyard Of the prison on the Elmst' Sue Vi
the prison Enclosure. He had calculator the us
lance so we'll that the free end OF the rope oahgied
about ten feet above the pavement OF the courtyard
Never made his way along the COURTYARD on INV
Ieonardst side of the inclosur" to the rear end Oh
III. womcns prison. which fnces Cenre-s There
| is a onestory extension 10 the womcn's prison. ana
M,ler WAS aNe climb 10 the roof Of the extension
by means of IA tin leader connecting with the roof
gutter From the roof Of the smaller structure he
climbed TO the roof Of the women's prison. going up
| a waste. pipe which Is fastened TO the outer wall
of the prison. AZ the southwest corner OF the prison
roof lac. tied the second rope which he carried with
him 10 leader. and threw the free end OF the rope
over the outer wall OF The Enclosure Oh the Leonard
| =. side. II was easy for him then tc slide down
| the rope and drop 10 the ground outside OF 'he
! Enclosure. and he was free.
The footsteps of the burglar on the roo: OF tn"
womcn's prison were heard ~ Mr>. McEven. the
m.airon and she not SLOW IN giving the alarm
| To IN. keepers. she FASTENED to inform John Orr,
the captain of the night watch. that she had tcard
somebody Oh the roof. orr ana several oi HIS
assistants went on the roof OF the women, prison
| and searched In the GarKness without seeing any
person except Themselves. WARDEN fallon. who WAS
| In his IN thu rear OF II building near me
| womcn's prison. awakened by The noise which
| the keepers made, and he inquired what ttey were
doing orr related what Ms. McEw"h hao said
| II any of them had escaped Hin orders were eA'
| Inc keepers went about the count as directed. bu
| II TIE escape OF Meyer was discovered at that time
tIary Mr.. fallon WIS told by orr that an Oh we
prisoners had been Iouh" ,iieE locked III o ahclr f
| cells 1h.n tlc warren said there was no ne"d Vi
maning any further search until Oal lign aid ~ went
| back 10 ted. Mr. tallon was aroused aga n about
half an hour nif.r midnight BY the keepers, who were
| again the roof Of the women' p'is1i lie maze
inquiry again and was informed ot Meyers escape
Meyer had had time to the city, If he chose,
before The police could be- i, Oh ms ti"en. "n de
to have the police Informed 81 me escap' ana AT an
early hour he sent personal request TO the 4ieins
! Mryer was arrested Oh May IL for completely in
three conledera'cs broke into the store Al tnat place
| and stole property valued NJ about 49,, Meyer
was held for trial and was sent TO the rombs. lie
was stu nwaians tiai tms ponce . sas Yesterday
| ,ha, Meyer Lad been convicted ana was a"h'"s
| sentence. -,
In report to the Commissioners Of Charities ana
Correction yesterday, Warden Falon SAID tnat he
thought four Of the keeper, at me lomns n"G u neen
First among them was William Fletcher. the night
At s"s Of Of '% sssp r Of Niger En- S
was doubIy at fault the Warden said, because h.
he also made false report that Meyer was In the
cell afr tie isor.r had escaped nSsr hca. ,.
lie failed to see Meyer descend to the COURTYARD by
means of rope. and also failed TO discover COW" .he
when II was LETT dang ing Outslue the wah aiVr
the burglar had got away
ON account Of The length of time required by Meyer
I'm digging through the wall In the Of hi, cell,
the Warden said II not TO be believed that the
work could have been done between, the hours Of
= and o D. M on Thursday. II WIS the duty OF the
two day keepers James OI'rien and Cornelius Price.
To make n careful examination Of the cell In which
Meyer was confined AT p. M. and II they had per-
formed that duty the escape doubtless wonid have
dismissal of Fletcher. Lamb O'Brien and Price lie
also said that In his opinion. the resignation Of Orr
IN. captain of the night watch should be demanded
orr has been emf loyed the Tombs for nearly thirty
,en's. commissioner rtrr said Yesterday that he
and the other Commissioners would make an In
| vestigation. and would probably act on the recon-
mendatiOns OF the warden on Monday. lie thought
th. would be a clean sweep Of the Negligent KEEPERS
he said and possibly there would be thorough over
haulInC Of the employees nj the TOmbs. with a view