The herald., 1896-11-05
ESCAPED FROM THE TOMBS
Women Made Light of the Bolts and Bars
of the Famous Prison

Two women prisoners effected their es-
cape at $3.50 y. M. Sunday from the ran
cied security OF the TomDS prison WIFI
the most ridiculous ease
They gained their freedom through Il
window in Deputy Warden oShea
apartments on the second ioor on .he
Center street side of the prison. The win
dow is protected by heavy iron graz
ing, to which is fastened the sash. 10
open the window il Is necessary to uh-
lcck the gratir gs, after which the sasi
and grating, Which are hung on nlnsef'
like a door. can be swung open. The Keys
to the deputy warden's rooms and to tDis
wiEdoW the women are supposed 10 haVs
procured from the deputy warden desk.
Once the window was open they had
a comparatively easy drop of twelve or
fifteen feet to the little earthen court be-
low. They We're then only few feet from
the main entrance of the TomDs. ana
had only to climb a fourfoot iron pick
ct fence TO gain the street.
The escaped prisoners are Nettie
White. who is described as short anc
stout, with fair complexion and halr, ana
Mary Mclaughlin, five feet eight inches
tall. with fair complexion and dark half.
They are each about .6 years ola.
The women were detailed from the
worNhouse on Blackwell's island to do
the work at the Tombs prison, ard tor
that reason We're not under very strict
surveillance. and practically had the run
of the women's department of the pris-
on. They evidently made their escape
leisurely, as they stopped long enough
in the deputy warden's apartments to
steal one of his Wifes brocaded silk
dresses and d sl4 hat. They also took off
their prison garb and put on dresses be-
longing to the matron and night matron.
The escape was discovered by Dennis
Shay, familiarly known as Charity
Shay, young man employed as a mes
senger in the new criminal court build
ing. He saw the dark forms of the wo-
men in the courtyard and ran to tell a
group of loungers standing near by. One
of the latter stated that Shay pointed
out the women to them. They were then
running up Center street, and apparent
ly could easily have been overtaken. The
spectators, however, according to this
mans story, preferred to see the women
escape.
Meantime Shay ran to the Tombs and
told the gateman of what he had seen.
The prison authorities at once sent Keep
er Flynn out after the women. Flynn
followed them up Center street to Ca
nal and along Canal to Baxter, where
he lost all trace of them.
Night Warden o. f. Middleton. who
was in charge of the prison, immediate.
ly telephOned the news ana all partlcu-
lars of the escape to police headquarters
and also to Warden Van de Carr. The
latter arrived at the Tombs soon after 10
o'clock and al once i. tituted an investi-
cation.
The last escape from the Tombs oc-
Cured about six months ago. In that
instance it was also a workhouse wo-
man doing work in the Tombs who made
light of the bolts and bars of the famous
old prison. She picked the lock of the
outer door of the deputy warden's apart
ments with an oyster knife and walked
out. The prison officials now admit that
these workhouse women have been treat
ed too lenently and have had too much
freedom.--New York Times.