New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-13
4 FUGITIVE SAVED BY FERRYBOIT.
THREE PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM RLACKwELLs
ISLAND. AND ONE Is PIcnEp Up IN THE
EAST RIvER-TiIE OTHER TWO
,,-I,

THREE PRISONERS ESCAPE FRoM BlA' NV ELL ,
ISLAND. AND ONE Is PIcnEp Up IN THE
EAST RIVER THE OTHER TWO
MAY HAVE DROWNED.
Much excitement was caused ong the passen-
gers on the Long Island Railroad Company's ferry
boat Sag IIarbor on her 30 trip yesterday morning
from Thirty fourth-st to Long .Isand city 10y the
cries Go back. captain. so back. quick The
cries came from W &. Marsh. an employe OF the
company. and they made for the benefit OF
Captain l.. D. Darlington. the pilot OF the boat. lie
heard the cries and quickly rang his bell TO re-
verse the paddles In the mean time all the pas.
sengers as we'll as the deckhands rushed through
the "a bins the forward end Of the boat Every
body thought that collision at hand. and
were relieved TO find no other craft In sight. In
stead, however the heads OF two men who were
struggling with the strong tide in the river we're
seen a few yards away from the boat Marsh had
walked to the guardra OF the boat and had Just
seen them In time. a moment later and they would
have been down by the boat. and probably no.
body would have been the wiser. II is Impossible
for pilot at night to such small objects In the
water.
Marsh and Harry O'Brien and Walter Van Gelder
deckhands the boat, Immediately set to work
to save the men. who mad by this time drifted 10
tho rear with the tide The boat backed up nd
he rings were thrown TO tho men, but strange 10
say they made effort TO catch them bu: con-
tinued to swim toward the New-York shore Tho
ferryboat started after them. but one OF them
suddenly disappeared. Tie other was finally swept
alongside OF the boat Icy the force OF the tide and
the deckhands told him to catch the NE ring.
Go to HI" he exclaimed. and he continued 70
at his would-be rcscuer until his strength
became exhausted and he realized that II was
either drown or catch the lie ring
He finally did the latter. and was hauled on
board the ferryboat. more dead than alive He was
naked lie was taken into the engine ROOM and
when he had somewhat recovered his breath he
said that he and the other man had been 10
North Beach In the afternoon and then returned
TO this city. and had gone In swimming off Sixty
fourth-st where they had left their clothing
Later he condded to OF the deckha nds that
he had escaped from Blackwells Island. The man
was brought back to this city Oh the ferryboat =
next trip and he was handed over to the police.
Detective McMulen took him to the East Thirty
nfth-st. station. and from there he wUs sent TO
Bellevue HOSPITAL and put In the prison ward.
DIR. Bigelow' would not allow him TO be dis
turbed until late yesterday afternoon because OF
that his name was John Walsh. and that he had
been sentenced from one OF the Brooklyn courts
to serve leo days for assault. lie had only thirty
days left to serve. He was assigned TO the stea m
launch that plies between Fifty-second-st and
Blackwe's Island.
with tho two other men who served the boar
to try to escape when the boat would nut nm Tor
the night at the penl,entlary pier. They were mn
of at midnight. The guard was not around then
They waited hour. and then Jumped into ths
river The tide runs swiftly at THIS point. and on,