The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-10-12
SAGE ESCAPES.
Through the Ceiling of the Jail.
TWO NEGRO PRISONERS GO WITH HIM.
Traced to QuarryviIIe, Pa.


When the news flew about the county OH
last Sunday morning that George p. Sage, the
notorious bank swinder and forger, had es-
capped from his confinement and departed
from Hartford county, without bidding good
bye to his friends, and taking with him two
other prisoners, no surprise Was expressed,
for the general impression was that, If man
of Sage's well-known criminal ability stayed
in such rotten, old structure as the Bel Air
Jail, with the certainty of long term in the
Penitentiary staring him in the face, it would
be a wonder indeed. Nevertheless, the details
of the affair were eagerly discussed as a new
sensation, and groups of citizens stood about
all day, viewing the situation from every pos
sible standpoint.
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
The structure, dignitied by the title OF the
Bel Air JAIL Is three stories in height. The
first and second floors are composed of cells
about eight by twelve feet. The third floor is
taken up by two large cells, with hallway
between. One of the cells on the lower tier
WAS occupied by the negro school teacher,
Kane, who was charged with the burglary of
Leon HoffmaII's clothing store, in Havre de
Grace, on September %. Sage occupied a
cell on the second floor, locked with two large
padlocks on long hasp. Another cell ON
the same floor was occupied by Samuel Kelly,
held for shooting Thomas ii. sHaycock, at
Darlington, about September /, and j. NJ. Hill,
who was arrested in Baltimore recently while
trying to dispose of lot of watches which he
had obtained from colOred people about Bel
Air on the preteXt of repairing them. This
cell was locked with spring paddock. The
af.Nt.,f Sasr
cupied by two negroes, Manuel Turner, serv-
ing out thirty days sentence, and James
Wilmer, charged with stealing pair OF shoes.
This cell was not locked although the outside
door of the Jail was securely fastened. 1t is
asserted by the prisoners remaining in Jail that
Kelly succeeded in opening the spring pad
lock on his door with piece of hey which he
found. Others suspect that the two negroes
who were not locked in assisted. At any
rate, Kelly got out and succeeded in freeing
Kane and Sage by saving off the hooks of the
padlocks on their cells, but which was first
freed is unknown. The trio then went into
the unlocked cell adjoining Sage's. The cell
ing of the second floor is composed of large
hewn logs, covered with layer of mortar and
bricks. There was crack, about two inches
wide, between two Of these logs, the existence
of which was known to Kelly, he having been
confined for few days in the cell above. The
men spread blankets on the floor to deaden
the noise of any falling rubbish, and succeed
ed in charging this crack to an aperture
eight inches wide and fifteen inches long.
Through this hole Sage, Kelly and Kane crawl
ed to the large cell above. Hill refused to go,
saying he was afraid. The third story windows
are protected by iron bars, one and one-quar-
ter inches square. These did not long stand
between the prisoners and freedom, for they
sawed two of them off at both ends and lower
ed themselves thirty feet to the garden below
Of q m ip nf D SlpptS a
bolster case. This rope was well made and
would have easily sustained the weight of two
heavy men.
ASSISTANCE FROM OUTSIDE.
The bars and locks were evidently cut off
by means of u small bracket SAW used by ma
chnists for cutting iron, asa number of broken
blades were found scattered about. Some of
these fragments were shown to Mr.. August
Neumann, the Bel Air machinist, who pro-
nounces them to be of the best quality, and
says with them an expert could have done all
the cutting i'll about half an hour. How Sage
obtained these saws is unknown. A can of
coal oil, which was evidently used to facilitate
the saving, was found in the third story.
Some one called Sheriff Hughes up about mid
night Saturday night saying that three men
wished to sleep in the Jail. He refused to let
them in but they may have had the saws and
oil and passed them to Sage by means OF
string let down from his window. The ne
yroes in Jail say Sage also had pair of pistols.
4 mother theory is that his wife brought these
things on her last visit, which was on Septem
Der % and "a. Again they may have been
III by Turner and Wilmer, who
have been working in the yard. The Sheriff |
hearing one of the prisoners
playing a violin during the night, which was
probably done to drown any noise that might |
be made in saving the iron.
PRISONERS SOUND THE ALARM.
About three o'clock Sheriff Hughes was
aroused by an cutlery from the prisoners in
Jail and hurried to the spot, revolver in hand |
He was told the men were escaping and that
they were in the third story. He went upstairs
but found only yawning hole in the floor
and an open window, from which the dang
ling rope told the whole story. He immedi-
ately consulted his deputy, Mr.. Frank Bate:
man, as to the best method Of recapture, and
rode to VanBibber where he telegraphed i'll
all directions. Having done all in his power
be returned home and was busily engaged all
the morning conducting the crowds Of citizens
who locked to the Jail anxious to see 1.-THE
place where they got out" |
THE CELL.
Sage's cell presented a disorderly appear
aDce on Sunday morning, and he had evident
ly made no attempt to set it to rights before
his departure. Two OF the bars at his window
we're sawn off but he had probably found the
aperture too small to crawl through. Under
about the room, and a sealed letter to his
Mr.. John 5. Young, was found on
the foot of the bed. Among other articles
left by Sage were mileage book on the Penn
svlvania Railroad, made out last June in the
name of Horace ID. Baker, and pearl mount
ed toilet case, containing combs, brushes,
scissors and manicure appliances. He took
with him all of blue serge suit which he has
been wearing, except the pants, and a fine
dark cloth suit for which he said he paid $40.
lie also took q light tan-colored leather
satchel.
About eight O'Clock ON Saturday night
came to Mr.. A. w. Wechter's hotel,
at Churchville, and left after supper, saying
he would not be back until quite late. About
one O'Clock he came back and retired. About
three O'Clock Sunday morning Mr.. Wechter
was aroused by two men who desired him to
drive them to Lapidum He demurred at first
but finally consented. While he was getting
his horse one of the men, presumed to be one
of the negroes who escaped, disappeared. aud
Mr. Wechter drove the other man alone to
Lapidum where he was ferred over the Sus-
quehanna river to Port Deposit. The man
WHO came first remained at the hotel until Mr..
Weehter returned, when he left also. Mr.. w.
w. Finncy, teller of the Hartford National
Bank, lives at Churchville, and when he heard
of the escape on Sunday morning he inquired
after Mr. Wechter's passenger and became
convinced 1t was Sage. lie had shaved oil his
moustache and was dressed in the dark cloth
suit Mr. Finney and Mr.. Robert c, Richard
son at once started in pursuit. They found
Sage had gotten livery team at Port Deposit
and driven north. They separated and went
to various points in Cecil and Lancaster coun-
ties, by could find no further trace of their
man. When the driver of the livery team re-
turned, he asserted that he had left his passen-
ger about mile south of Quarryville, Pa
Since then no further news has been heard of
him, although the matter is being diligently
worked up by Pinkcrton detectives.
SAGE'S RECORD.
The details of the clever scheme, by which
Sage swindled the Hartford National Bank out
of 50 100, are too fresh in the minds of our citi-
zens to need repetition. In addition to this
loss, the bank has spent about 81, 900 in trac-
ing the forger and securing his arrest. 1t at
tached his property at Vineland, n. j., which
will net about 81 900 and recently secured an
attachment on sos, standing to the credit OF
Horace d. Baker in Philadelphia bank.
Sage was indicted last May and was to have
been tried in November. He has grown con-
siderable thinner during his confinement,
which was lucky for him, as otherwise he
would not have been able to crawl through
the hole in the ceiling.