Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-05-06
CONVICT'S ROMANCE
SHEPHERD USED A ROPE LADDER TO
VISIT HIS SWEETHEART.

Materials MuT Eave Taken Years tn Col
iect-Had to soaIe Thirty-nve Foot
WALL When the Ladder Was Discovered
He Promptly Gave Himself Up.
Warden Pattcn of tho Indiana prison
south, at Jacksonville, has now on exhibit
tion ono of the most remarkable contriv-
ances made by prisoner that ever came
into his collection. 1t Is u ladder made of
thousands of small pieces of twinc threads,
cord and rope, such as a convict could So
cretly collect through years of effort. With
the ropc Thomas Shepherd used to climb
80 fou wall and get ont of the pcnitentiary
yard night after night to visit an old
sweetheart.
He never attempted to escape, and when
his ladder was found one night he returned
before his absence had been discovered,
rang the bell mt the front gate and surren-
dered himself On his arm he carried
rubber coat which had been used TO con-
ceal his striped shirt. He wore moccasins
over his shoes.
Shepherd told straightforward story so
far as IL went. He had made the ladder,
ne said, In order that he might visit
woman outside the prison. He had gone
to her house only four times, he said On
a recent Sunday night when he returned,
he found his ladder gone from the wall
and at once decided to give himself up.
He would not tell the woman's name, but
the prison officials think they have discov-
cred her identity. She came from her
home In Sullivan county, Ind, some years
ago to live in Jacksonville, near her con-
vict lover
The prison officials profess to believe
Shepherds story that he went out only
few times. 1t Is reasonably certain,
though, that the man had been going out
side for months before his ladder was dc
tected.
Shepherd was "trusty," and for more
than two years had opened and closed the
wagon gate at the prison. He occupied a
little house just inside the gate. During
the day he stood outside the gate part of the
time and got to know great many people
who were In the habit Of passing. Some
months ago reporter, who used to visit
the penitentiary regularly came upon
Shepherd one day as he was engaged In
teaching two little children. The ground
where he stood was sandy, and he traced
the letters In the sand with a stick. In
this way he had taught the children to
spoil, and they were trying to master the
the children's mother, had been seen
around often, but usually the children
came alone. The reporter thought the in
cident SO curious that he wrote it up, and
the prison officials thercupon made Shep-
herd give up his pupils. 1t is thought that
the mother was the woman Shepherd has
been going out to see.
Shepherd said that he wove his ladder at
night and that it took him months to fin
ish it, 1t contains thread, strings and
bits Of cord of every size, length and color.
They are woven, knotted and twisted skill
fully. 1t was Shepherds first intention to
use iron footrests, and he had managed to
secure four steel stirrups, which were
found in his cell, but he concluded they
would make the rope too heavy. The only
pieces of metal in it when finished were
two iron hooks at the ends, which were
thrown over the wall and held the ladder
in place. Is Is hard TO understand how the
convict got the rope over the wall even
with the hooks. The wall Is Of brick, and
Is 35 feet high
Shepherd was sent to the prison to serve
life sentence in 1875. A new trial was
secured two years later end he was recon-
mitted on the same sentence on April 10,
1873. He has continually petitioned for
executive clemency, and two years ago his
sentence was commuted to 20 years. He
will be released consequently, on April
10, 1898. He was country school teacher.
One night at an apple pairing he had a
quarrel with man named Macy Engle
over girl. Engle had Shepherd arrested,
and one night before the case was tried
Engle was assassinated. Shepherd was
convicted purely on circumstantial evi
dence and has always maintained his in
nocence.-New York Sun.