The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-24
ooxTIor PLANE FoUND.
NE Escaped from sins siuE on March NJ ana
Ia Vow In IN Indiana RnnitnnfinrI.

u Vow In an Indiana Fenitentfary.
srSe SING. N. Y, Aug. 29.-warden Sage Of
Sing Sing Prison received information to-day
that James Blaine. alias James Irving, who
escaped from the prison on last March IS, IL
serving q three years sentence Mt the peniten-
tiary ut Albion, Noble county, Ind. for bur
glary. He will be brought back to Sing Sing
Prison after his sentence In Indiana expires.
Blalne's escape was remarkable. On the
morning OF March 10 he turned out with the
other prisoners for breakfast, and it is supposed
that when tho convicts were being marched
back TO their coils after their hour Of morning
exercise in the yard, he slipped out Of the line
and hid himself. The keeper who had charge Of
his squad did not miss him. In some way
Blaine had secured from different parts of tho
prison shops q stonemason's hammer, q cold
chisel. and o blade from q pair OF heavy shears
usedi In the cloth.cutting shop. There Is an under
prison building from the north end Of the prison
y used at night BY the Warden and Keepers. At
gate secured by a small paddock, but at the end
where 1t opens into the, prison yard 1t is pro-
and held shut by a lock and bolt. both 'pprotSsted
from attack from the, inside. by a sheetiron
wall, and consequently the entrance forms a
2i2.foot deep niche there.
door with his tools. He cut the sheet iron with
the hammer and cold ehisel, and priod up the
bolt with tho shears blade. The recess Of tho
doorway was in full view OF the principal keep
er's Office, and under keepers pass the door all
the time. 1t 10 supposed that Blaine deceived
those who passed by, sweeping when they were
near, for a broom was found aftorward with the
handle partly broken of and the broom part
resting against the cut lock plato SO as to con-
ceal this. Akeeper. noticing the broom In that
peculiar position, took 1t away and discovered
that the lock was broken. Then tho convicts
were sent to their cells, Blaino's absence was
noticed, and the alarm whistle was sounded.
Blaine had smashed tho small lock at the other
end Of the passage, and then he was free to step
into the public road. Before he left tho passage
he discarded his convict suit 1t 10 supposed
that he had secured q suit Of ordinary clothing
from the tailor shop where tho old suits OF tho
convicts are cut up and used for other purposes.
There are guards in watch towers at each cor
way, but neither OF these saw Blaine go.
and was known also as Irving, Irwin, and
Irvine. He was serving his second term in
prison. He had just reached his majority when
he was convicted OF assaulting q young girl In
Albany. and was sentenced TO prison for lfteen
| years. After serving q fcw years In. Clinton
Prison he was sent to Sing Sing TO finish his
term. He came to this city after being released.
and In the spring Of 1896, within a few months
OF the time of his release. he was captured, in
| company with James McNally. and convicted of
robbing o fiat. He was sentenced to serve one
year and nine months, but because he. was
arrested during the term of his original sen.
tence, he would have had the communication
time Of that sentence to serve out besides.