The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-15
FOUR PRISONERS ESCAPE.
Ludlow Street jail, New York. Loses
Desirable Boardors.

Ludlow Street jail, New YORK; Loses
Desirable Boardors.
New York, Jan. 15--Four prisoners
took French leave OF Ludlow street jail
early last evening. one OF them was
caught, more by accident than anything
else, by the local police. The three others
are stiIl missing. Thus far there seems
10 be no clew TO the various directions
which they took after their most sensa-
tional method OF fight from the prison
walls.
The fugitive from Ludlow street now
in custody is Peter Masso, "a years oic.
born In France. who was charged on the
books Of Ludlow street Jail with bring
inc French girls TO this country from
Tarls and other places in France for inn
moral purposes.
Those who are still at large are:
William Post. % years old. a mail rob-
ber
Michael Egan. "a yars old. counter
feiter.
George Polyerannis, Greek, also a
counterfeiter.
The manner i'm which the men made
their escape was as follows:
The top tier OF tho jail on the east side,
the windows of which look out upon a
large court yard which divides the jail
from the Essex Market prison, had, until
lately. been occupied by United States
prisoners. a few days ago, however,
these prisoners were transferred 10
other parts of the jail and the upper tier
on the east was given over TO plumbers
for repairs, thus leaving the cells empty.
The four men, who had the freedom OF
the corridor. made their way in the semi
darkness 20 the upper tier and twisted
the lock of from one of the unoccupied
cells. Into this they went, and from the
window of the cell, which looks over a
space of five feet TO the prison wall in
which are the windows that open into the
odter air. IL was not difficult TO remove
| the window, and this was done. Then
enc of ne ftaef took the dangerous leap
across the open space and landed on the
sill OF the outer window. lie had a sharp
saw of some kind. for he sawed the
| fourth stout bar n the upper frame OF
| the window. IL is supposed that the saw
| was one OF those left by the plumbers
| VINO had been working there. After the
| bar i'm the window had been broken. the
| bar being OF iron and about half an inch
| IN diameter, the halves were twisted SO
| that space foot wide was made and
| sufficiently long TO permit body to
| squeeze through.
| The window on which the men stood
! when they had clambered outside was
| but a little less than 90 feet above the
| ground Five feet above them was the
| roof OF the Jail, with large overhanging
/ cOrnice How | was done no one can
| tell, but the men in some way swung
themselves from the cornice with the
! yard yawning 60 feet below, and by main
| strength lifted themselves TO the roof
| On the roof they were safe FOR moment
| but there was a sharp spiked fence ~
| feet In height, between them and the
| adjoining tenement house roof. This
| was scaled in safety, and then the men
had access to the stairway of the tene-
ment house by way of the roof IL Is
| supposed that Masso was the first OF the
| fugitives, and his encounter with the
people in the house led ts his arrest
While the scene which ended in his be-
| ing locked up was enacted, his compan-
ions in fight were secreting themselves
| on the roof. About half an hour after
| ward one of them, man In light SUIT
| the Greek. was seen TO pass down tho
! stairs, and still later another stranger
was noticed to leave the building. When
the third of the three still missing left II
is impossible to say.
| None OF the prison officials would
| sneak of the case in the remotegt way.