The evening times., 1896-10-06

The comparatively large number OF pris-
oners who have for some time past es-
capped from the workBouse chain gangs
| has of late come to be serious question
with the Officials OF that Institution.
| The most OF the convicts on the farm
| are short-terni prisoners, their sentences
| varying from ten days to six months.
| the latter being about the maximum period,
| for when a crime is committed in the Dis
| trict deserving more lengthy impris-
Onuient as penalty criminals are sent to, the
! Albany penitentiary. There the govern
| nient has a contract with the State of
New York which provides for prisoners.
The average term OF service in the work
house is about thirty days, the ma jority
OF offenders receiving that sentence in
the event OF their failure to pay fine.
OF So, which his honor, Judge KinibalI,
imposes.
When the summer skies are bright and
the birds are singing and all nature is
smiling, the restless hobo ON the remorse-
full drunk longs for new pastures and is
neyer content to he working for his board
| and clothes. Then, If he is clever, the
chain gangs afford binI an avenue Of
escape.
NOT CHAINED TOGETHER
1t is a mistake TO think the prisoners are
chained together while working in these
gangs. A group of 75 or / 90 men are set
at work under the direction OF four guards,
stationed at certain distances apart, who
keep watchful eye upon the coDvicts,
Only one OF the guards is mounted, and
should the minds of all the gang act in ao-
cord and "A mad rush be made for escape,
it would he impossible to recapture quar-
ter of the runaways. This, however, for
some uDassignabIe reason, never happens.
Yet, however viGilant an oyerseer may
be. every few days some prisoner is bound
to escape. One convict may be working AT
the end of u gang. near guard
Then lie carefully watches for an oppor-
tunity when the officer leaves his post to
patrol the line to ward his partner. When a
short distance away tie end prisoner Will
make a sudden squirt and dash away If h.
is a good runner, he can gain considerable
handicap before another officer at the most
remote guard post may be able to mount
his horse and start in pursuit.
TAKES BIG CHANCES.
When man is making break for liberty
he Will assume chance he would otherwise
dNOlu, 81 Al not tlld >t tLsbts
the commons and through the marshes and
low lands in the vicinity OF the Eastern
Branch. Colored prisoners, as a rule,
generally take to a little settlement OF
negro huts il they are able to escape in that
direction.
Entering one and passing out through the
rear into another, and lodging from one
hiding place to another spot OF safety, it is
almost impossible Tor q guard to follow
them unless very close behind.
The colOred persons are always willing
to secrete those OF their own color. Hidden
behind a lot Of rubbish in some tumbled
down shanty the escaped convict remains
until nightfall, then he will exchange his
prison garb OF pants, frock shirt and cap,
with latitUtS.al stripes OF black and white,
for some castoff garm ents OF colored sym
pathizers and again retur to his old haunts
Ind avoid the police until his case is for
gotten
II he has little time to serve it is gen
orally useless to attempt further to hunt
him down and pture the runaway. The
colored ally who aided him by exchanging
clothes will then set about and dye the
prison regalia black and have a new suit
which. after it becomes soiled, cannot be
detected.
Prisoners in their eagerness to get away
have also been known to rush to the n, er,
plunge in and swim across, while his pur-
sunig guard could do nothing except stand
ON the bank. A convict who is good at
vaulting some etimes ma kes for high fence,
leaps over and leaves the mounted guard
outside the breaStworks, unable to follow
without leaving his horse, and this gives
the fleeing man another handicap.
ONE EXAMPLE GIVEN.
There was one ingenious vag. who having
secured a home on the farm for four
months, grew weary OF confinement, and
being naturally avcrse to tOil, slyly bade
adieu the guards o. the chain gand a nd took
TO his heels and mana ged to escape. Itwas
afterwards learned that he had remained
hidden IN the vicinity until night and
then entering n blacksmith shop found
bucket of black paint.
All night long he labored fndustriously
decorating his prison suit, carefully paint
morning he sallfe d forth n what appearedto
be very Ioud English jacket suit OF large
check plaids.
Another clever trick practiced by prison.
jumpers quite successfully to conceal their
stripes. which is always the greatest him
drance after once break is made from the
chain-gang IS to build a big. boufire n the
woods at night. and then when the embers
have cooled remove the garments and dill