The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-07-10
u IMMIGRANTS ! ESCAPE.
Twelve Break Out Of q Detention
-. Pen on Ellis Island.
Eight 'Recaptured, Three Still At
Large and One Drowned.
Led by Seven Chaldcan Priests, Who
Threw White Men Overheard.

Ffty-six determined men made an Of.
fort to escape from the detention pen
at Ellis Island at o'clock this morning.
Seven Chaldean missionaries are said
to have formulated the plan of escape.
Twelve got out of the pen, but eight
were captured and taken back. Three
colored men are supposed to be now
wandering about the Jersey coast The
other fugitive. a white man, Is thought
| to be drowned. ,.r.
The trouble occurred from the action
OF the Ellis Island officials in OBTAINING
seven Chaldean priests who came over
on the Furnessa from Glasgow yester.
day morning. They were detained and
taken before the Board of Special In
quiry.
They said they had come to this
country to solicit money to build n
church In Arabia. They also stated that
they had been through Europe ana
ASIA on the same mission.
Commissioner McSweeriey concluded Ia
hold them until their Identity was cs-
tablished and looked upon them in the
light Of begGars. He said he believed
them to be fakirs, particularly In view
or the fact that they had no money
Another feature which made the Com
mission. little anxious 10 hold the
alleGeu priests was the fact that each
man was provided with long dagger
These Wcapons"were taken from them
before they ware sent to the quarters al
iight. 1t is the old fort just back OF
Biggs
The lot of detained people, numbering
nfty-stx in all, were taken from the
detention pen IN the main building at
o'clock last night. No trouble was
paid nttle attention to their charges
during the night. About go this morn
ing. however. they heard loud conversa-
ton inside the building Upon entering
they found the priests holding riot
GUS meeting rhey were denouncing the
quarters in which they. were compelled
to pass the night and wanted to be
freed.
The, men stationed to watch the de-
tanned immigrants Were Harrington and
ouns Fish 5 5s Sh we're sG n fbe ps Mo
rushed, to the entrance, ANA shouted:
They are all trying to get outr'
They, pointed to n door. on the .east
men rushed to the place where the men
were making their escape. They placed
their bodies against the door and stopped
most of the men from getting out.
Twelve. however had passed through
the door.
An alarm was Immediately sent In. and
every Watchman on the island was sent
to look for the runaways. who ran to the
north side OF the Island where the row.
boat Immigrant was moorel. They quick
ly broke the chain which anchored the
craft and jumped in. There were no
oans In the boat. but the desperate men
tore up the seats and ised them for pad
dies ard started for the coal docks on
the Jersey shore.
Five altogether were in the small boat,
three co,ored and two white men. The
boat until axes were brought and the
, chains brul:cu. The watehmen who fol-
lowed the boat Immigrant say that when
, Jersey coast the three colored men threw
the two whites OUT Of thu boat.
one swan for schooner anchored near
Waterman william Gaines. who rowed
after the party and saw the man swim
for the schooner. The other white man
Vt" The w watchman p'iiled t, the Jersey
, shore ana searched the vicinity
where the men were seen to land. but
no trace of item COULD be found. An
In Jersey CITY, but little hope Of their
-recapture Is held
Capt. Byrnes, who was In charge OF tne
night watch says the men made their
escape by cutting away the wooden por-
lion OF the lock until the bolt was re-
leased. The sscaped negroes came IN on
the steamer Antilia as stowaways; They
are said to be a desperate lot. and have
made threats against the Ellis Island
authorities during tieir stay in the de-
The seven priests are now in the New
York detention pen, under close scru.
tiny. They are peculiar-looking SET
and huddle together In one corner of the
pen. refusing all advances of their fel-
low prisoners. Only one can speak Eng
fish, and when approach Ned answered IN
n surly manner that he came to get
money to'build a church in Syria. They
|, all wear long hair and priestly gard
extending to their ankles.
Commissioner insolvency says they
will not land until something more -
| loo rpaI about them