The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-16
FOUR PRISONERS ESCAPE.
CUT THEIR war U OF STATEN
LSLIND,S OLD JAIL.

Three were burglars and One q Piclnpockets
while They Were % wing the steel Barn the
Other Prisoners Were s~inEinE-Thoy Are
Believed TO ne stin on staten leland
Four prisoners awaiting trial in the Rich
mond county jail at Richmond, 8. l., escaped
last night. They ripped open a heavy wire
screen and sawed through two heavy steel
bars which covered a small window opening
off the main corridor. The window leads TO .
shed, from which tho men dropped into the
yard of the Jail. They had no difficulty in
scaling the seven.foot fence surrounding the
Jail and getting into the woods near by. nom
where they probably struck out in d~iffcrcnb
directions. They were not recaptured lase
night, but the authorities think the men can
not get away from the island and hope to arresa
them to-day.
The four men are John Wilson, "a years olde
George Simons, - years old; William Lang
estry, "a years old, and Sente Celindeo, Q Pole
50 yciSrs old. Three weeks ago Wilson and
Simons broke into the house of Thomas Denny
a banker. at Livingston. They stripped the
house OF its valuables, and got away withouh
awaking any of the inmates. Tho bundles
they carried aroused the suspicious Of a POI
liceman. who happened to run across them
and they were arrested. On the way to the
station house Wilson broke away from the POI
liceman.
The latter turned Slm0ns over. 10 anOtneL
policeman and after q two-mile chase caughb
Wilson.
Langestry was arrested several days ago fog
stealing n pocketbook from a woman at South
Beach. Celindeo broke into the house of jus
tice William A.. Galloway at Grant City .
week ago and stole some clothing from a trunk
in the basement. lie was caught by one OF the
servants and turned over to a policeman.
The Richmond County Jail is n ramshacklo
affair. 1t was built forty years ago and for
the last twenty years has been in need OF re-
pairs. The hamlet Of Richmond. where 1t 10
situated, ia the county seat, but Is in o sparsely
settled neighborhood In the centre OF the island
and about five miles from st. George. 1t 70
surrounded by woods, which afford an excel.
lent means for an escaping prisoner 10 throw
his pursuers Off the trail.
The prisoners in the jail have the freedom
OF the main corridor during the early evening.
There are not enough keepers to watch them
constantly, SO the keepers take turns. in walk.
ing through the corridor and seeing that all 10
well. At about z O'Clock last night one OF the
prisoners, who had a guitar. started to play
believed that they did this to drown the noise
of the files which were being used on the IRON
bars over the window.
At g o'clock. when Under Sheriff Marchant
came around to lock the men. In the cells
for the night, he found only thirty-six prison'
ers when there should have beer torty: liz
Immediately made an investigation. and dis
covered the torn screen and bent bars. A gen
eral alarm was sent out for the escaped men.
and descriptions Of them were FURNISHED 70
every policeman on the island. Tho Terry anu
railroad stations were watched.
How the men got the files II, not known,
The keepers OF the Jail say that the cells wert
searched regularly, and that no one was al,
lowed to see the prisoners without being searcaeo
first