The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-05
KEEPERS OVERPOWERED.
BY a Display of Pistols the
Desperadoes Secure
Freedom.
ALL THE GUARDS SURPRISED.
Through a Big Crowd the Fugitives
Make Their Way and Finally
Vanish.

NEW YORK, N. Y, July 4.-Three des-
perate postoffice burglars, Joseph Killoran,
Charles Allen and Harry Russell, prisoners
of the United States Government, held up
Keepers Edward A. Schneer and Charles
Schoen at the muzzles of three shining
revolvers in Ludlow-street Jail, seized the
keys that opened the three doors between
them and liberty, and made good their
escape. All this occurred in broad day
light, just at o'clock this morning. The
streets were crowded, as they always are in
that neighborhood, and crowd of 1000
chased the escaping prisoners down Ludlow
street to Broome, where the men separated
and were soon lost in the most crowded
section of the streets of New York. The
story of the escape of these men was told
by Schoen and Schneer, as we'll as by a
civil prisoner who happened in the office
at the time and was too excited to even
make an outcry.
az had just entered the JAIL" said
Schneer, "to relieve Schoen, who was the
night keeper. The three prisoners took
their exercise in the inner court of the jail
between the hours of s and 9 O'Clock every
morning. They are sent back TO their
cells when the other prisoners take exer-
else between and 10 o'clock. Just as
entered the door the three prisoners pulled
out their revolvers and covered Schoen and
myself. They are big men and very fierce
looking.
Hold up your hands, they shouted at
US, or we will blow your Dutch heads
off, At the same time they yanked the
keys to the three outer doors out of my
hands. I was frightened badly as
looked into the barrels of three loaded
revolvers, but shouted as loudly as 1
could. Allen started to unlock the door
leading from the hall where the hold-up
took place, while his comrades still faced
us with their revolvers. A crowd, how
ever, began to gather in Ludlow street as
they heard the unusual noise in the JAIL
and Allen could not open the door quick
enough. He then, with an oath, smashed
the big plate glass and reached through
and opened the latch. This let him into
the Office with three heavily barred iron
doors between him and liberty. We kept
on shouting all the time, as the desper-
ADDE'S ratified the big keys in the heavy
doors. AS they opened the doors they
locked them behind them. leaving us pow
erless to follow in pursuit. The outer of
the doors they left open, and left the
bunch of keys in the lock, as they had no
time to do anything else"
The crowd had reached great proper
tions by this time. A number of police
men came running up and the prisoners
had to make lively tracks up Ludlow
street, the crowd and the police right on
their heels. AT Broome street, one block
north of the Ludlow-street door, from
which they escaped, the men separated,
one keeping on, Allen going east on
Broome street and Killoran taking the
western direction.
At Broome and Clinton streets young
man, Louis B. Ostran, was fast catching
up with Allen, when the fugitive turned
upon the pursuer.
"Now sneak, or will put an airhole
through your heart" he said.
Ostran then gave up the chase and Allen
was soon lost in the crowd.