New-York tribune., 1896-10-29
would bring Joy and mrth to an otherwise sad
and melancholy world
THE WHITE PLAINS JAILBREAHING.

TIE WHITE PLAINS JAILBREAhiNf.
The escape Of the burglar Jacques from me
Vestchcster County Jail. at White Plains was
n deplorable occurrence for which some one
should surely he brought to n strict accounting
There was no lack Of knowledge of the man
character or Of warming Of what he would 40
il no rot chance. He was known to have been
n professional criminal Of the most dangerous
type who had several times broken ont OF jai's
in which he had been confined in various parts
Of the country He had crowned his career by
taking part in the recent burglary Mt BEDFORD
Station and in the murder. on that occasion. OF
Walker Il. Adams. lie was under Indictment
for murder n the first degree. with every rea
sonablc prospect of conviction. In such crcum
stances II was to bc taken for granted tl''t he
would resort to any desperate trick known to
past master IN crime to regain his liberty an"
il was therefore incumbent in n special degree
upon all connected with the management OF 'he
jail to use every possible means for his constant
safeguarding. That this was not done the dis
astrOus sequel shows.
Just where the blame most lies may not yet
be positively stated, but there are some puDllslleu
facts which must be regarded as slgnifcahf.
Jacques should. of course have been coniihed III
the strongest part Of the jail. He was nor. pe-
cause he was an invalid, and the physician III
attendance declared he was too weak to be trans
frrred Seeing that he was strong enough 10
break open his cell door, saw two iron bars
as,lnder climb or drop twenty feet to the ground
scale fence ten feet high. and drive away in a
carriage. the doctors diagnosis may. without IN
Justice. be- deemed somewhat ovcrconservative.
II is stated that because Of his invalldism the
prisoner was allowed to roam ut will about the
corridor Of the Jail. which is borne out by the
fact that it was through the corridor window,
the bars of which he had previously sawn asliIl-
der that he made his escape. That he should
have had such liberty: that he should have been
able to cut the bars without being observed. and
that the bars should have remained cnt for any
length OF time without the fact being discovered,
are circumstances which certainly do not reflect
credit upon the management OF the jail. Neither
do these. that there was gap OF half an hour
between the watches set upon him; that visitors
were admitted 10 the Jail TO see him without be-
ing examined for tools or weapons which they
might bc conveying to him. and that his cell was
never searched for such things.
In former years the management Of the White
Plains Jail was notOriOusy bad. The present
administration has been incomparably better
But this incident casts n serious reflection upon
IT, There is no suspicion Of criminal collusion,
or anything Of that sort. There is. on the face
Of the case not only suspicion. but strong evi-
dence Of gross negligence. The Sheriff will, ne
doubt, make n strict investigation. and put the
blame and punishment where they are found to
belong There Is good ground for hoping. too.
that Jacques will be speedily recaptured and
made to pay the full penalty Of his crimes. But
It is pity that the scrutiny and exertion which
will thus be expended were not employed before
in safeguarding the criminal when he was III
hand. II is so much easier and better TO pre-
vent an evil than to atone for it after it has been