The sun., 1893-07-18
DESPERATE PLOT F0ILED.
,ryrYE or DANNEMORA PRISONERS
TO ESCAPE DISCoTERED.

TO ESCAPE DfSCOVERED.
Revealed by n Prisoner Who Had Refused
a. Jo,n the Ganr Because the Plan In
.,.,.a the Murder OF some Guards
r,, Inforner Pardoned by GOV. Flower.
,,p,yy. July 17.-Walter N. Thayer. the
C.rden OF tho Clinton prison ut Dannemora,
- down to Albany late this afternoon. and
s,ooeeding to the Executive Chamber told
~ Flower Of q desperate plot formed by
ss,s Ione-term men confined in his prison to
s.In their freedom. One OF the prisoners who
g ask cd to .oin tho gang refused. and 1t was
.sroueb him that the prison authorities boz
,.me aware OF the plot
At noon yesterday as the prisoners filed
.hropph the corridor In lock step on their way
nat Principal Keeper Mckenna to obtain their
s.tions for dinner. ono OF the prisoners slipped
,,to the hand OF the principal keeper a piece
A. brown wrapping paper two feet long by q
t.ot wide, upon which was written In lead
pencil:
n. NeKonna.
An, hardly know how to begin to pencil what wish
~ say to yeu. L am nearly insane thinking over and
carrying over It. Now. sir. there 10 scheme gotten
~ hsre several convcts to escape from hero to-
srh sunday the 1dh and the matter in which 1t is
.o,,sd 10 ething that cannot keep secret
soun, OF the cold prsmedtated murder thnt Is planned
10 ,nsot their escape was asked to go into tho
sshsms but refused to have anything to do with It,
vns,s men then told f the officials got wind OF 1t
nav would hold me responsible. and that there
s.ms half dozen moro men in 1t that 1 knew
,e,hng about but that they know that
vas asked into IL, and they took an oath
n IL failed they would put mo out OF the
vsy 80 you see. sir that I'm taking big chances to
ave these keepers lives: so Ask you a. . man to
nj ma n Ar ~ al Nv
str this Is to take place tonight Sunday after
o'clock when Ar. Long And tho other night guard
somes on There two doors cut air eady for these
men to come out after Mr. Long or the othor guard
makes the frst round. These will como out when
me guard IL on the top gallery close their cell doors
and then get into the alleyway. Ono of them will
have o big bar Of iron, and the other will have .
larre knife. After these guards make their nrst
round one OF them always makes . second round
on tho tagging about half an hour afterward. That
b the time fixed for these prisoners TO act When
this guard in front OF tho alley they intend to
spring upon him. drag him into tho alley. and murder
him. They will take his gun, thon sneak down upon
the other guard at the oice and do him. take his
also They then intend opening mp nve six cells.
hitting the men out. How they intend getting out Of
tho hall know nothing about. for they did not tell
me- the names OF these other mon either. Now, SIR
I'm no nformer and injured another prisoner in
ny life II ali the men in this prison contemplated
escaping. and positive OF receiving pardon by
telling on them, would not do so-no. not II was
serving life sentence, but where cold blooded
Der is planned will stop it. 1t IL In my power DO
H. every time.
Now. sir am doing good deed toward these keep
On, and hope you will do nothing that will complicae
Or sndanger mo in any way. You are ny man and
know enough not to mention my namo to any one but
the Warden. and not como to SEQ mo or send for ma
II you wish to speak to me you can send Latter to
me Just though It came through the mail have
10 bs careful. although am no coward. for have
wife and family to think Of It IL them Am thinking
d and not Of myself
Now sir the number Of these conviets' cell are-oe-
4 company s6--3 company. One mans name 10
wright" and tho others nams 10 "Rsaos" The rivet
next tongue Of the door that the lever upon
out from the inside of the door, and thas bar
that the tongue Of tho door can be pushed out
and tho door then Is opened They have the rIvst
plugged up with soap and painted that It would take
eoss inspection to detect It Tho cut bar 10 hid by the
sng Of the curtain hanging the door. Both these
mems door nxed in the Same manner.
Now. sir, this 10 all know about this AFFAIR. know
nothing about she other who to be let or
who they are. II did would feel safer. for then
would know who had to deal with and who to look
cat for. Now. sir be sure and make NO mistake BY
coming to SEQ me sending for me. Ihave done right
by you so hope you will do the same toward me.
Iremain yours respectfully
Here Is signed the prisoners name. with his cell
number and company.l
these cells look for them in the cells to them.
Now that you read the above, take things cool
md spring this affair though you knew It some
time. Tho best way would be to have general frisk
IKE Fourth Of July.
Warden Thayer told the Governor that after
the prisoners had finished with dinner the two
prisoners referred to in the above communica-
ton were removed from their cells. and an
examination showed the truth OF the prison.
era information. The locks Of the two cell
Hidden IN The bedticE IN @ Reaoes S cell was
wrights cell were found q orowbar about ~
syns inc Drdisoner's Information was confirmed In
sS @srden ssased an WIN
srs. named Joyce and Russell. both serving
1o'fffSs 'fSs val thnRs ss
mey ey. Eere to have been used as slunGshota.
vsts oySs zee and Russell ADMITTED that they
sgsy. said to the Warden after the discovery: y:'
sxsv me- / know the the Who gave the the snap snap
Russell said that. while he was party to the
templated.
Wriehts term expires in 1898. Reace is a
sery from these two men. the preparations
sasS Slsg, had made for escaping being positive
when Gov. Flower heard this story from
WARDEN Thayer he Immediately pardoned the
prisoner prisoner who wrote the communication to the
The Warden thiD ks Reace obtained his knife
~ .ne state workshop. a new building Is In
S%S9rse OF erection on the prison grounds
wright who is working on this building. must
nave obtained the crowbar while at his labor
a Saa uggled 1t into his cell; "frisk." which
y referred to In the prisoners communication.
general examination of all the cells, one
n1pSiDg been made on July4,
Dotn Gov. Flower and Warden Thayer re-
Used TO dlvulge for the present. at least. the
Az HHme OF the prisoner, who probably had saved
Me ne lives OF several prison guards. They
.noaeht 1t might bring trouble upon him; il
nSs.if nos ir9m the prisoners whom he gave away.
Hvssi9ly from some OF their friends outside OF
thte he prison. Another reason Is, the Governor
iininEs convict can get along better after ne
a. a. nrSirased from prison in his endeavor to lead
IA honest life II the fact OF his pardon is not
nSSfaided nS,sided thToughout the State at tho time he
Wasdsn R,s tSSriEd dd not go near TIL. prisoner
s,.eT THste,shiviIg his and said
nmow msu tha result OF his warming The fortunate
IhIs9 IIsa95 was received at the prison in August.
aos. toos. and had four years to serve for grand
Tsssehy; The crime he committed in New
ad9rk city. where his wife ard children live