Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-09-23
A FEARLESS CONVICT.
sTGAoMAN's DARING ESCAPE FROM
SAN QUENTIN PRISON.

" feat Whlch Almost bordered on
the MIraeuIoas.
IL Il one thing 10 catch u thief and il
Il another thing 20 hold him. During n
meeting Of the chiefs Of police Of all the
larger cities Of the United States and
Canada, which occurred ut milwaukee,.
there were "reminiscences Of remarkable
captures and Of escapes which bordered
closely upon the miraculous
1.-THE most remarkable escape from
prison that | can recall. said William
A. pinkerton, was that u Frank
Steadinan from the San Quentin prison.
But I'll not tell you about IL, for here
IL John Glass, who caught Steadman
and sent him back 10 San Quentin. "
Chief Glass pinohed the brown i'm.
perial on his under lip rehectiycly for
a moment before no responded 10 the
looks Of inquiry bent upon him by those
not familiar with the story
THE escape 20 which you refer, Pin.
kerton, was made after sent SteadmAn
10 san Quentin and not before was
not the fortunate one 10 get him after
that last wonderful break And 10 tell
the truth. have never taken 10 myself
much credit for taking him the time
did, for IL was 90 a considerable degree
q matter Of good fortune You see, we
were Just NJ that time keeping our eyes
open for a bank robber by the name Of
Barnes. who had gone into one Of the
banks out there. covered the ono man
who happened 20 be alone In the place
nj tho time, locked him up In the vault
and then coolly walked ont Of the bank
and out Of sight with all the funds he
could get his hands ON
zone day man answering closely
the description we had Of Barnes step.
ped OF the train at Los Angeles We
took him In tow at once, but found
we did not have the bird we were after
However, we managed to hold him
long enough 90 find out that ho was
Frank Steadman, who had become no.
torious even nc that time NJ a successful
Jail breaker lie had four or five escapes
from prison In southern Indiana credit.
Cd 10 him, had got away from Jolie.
and had still seven years 10 do at the
Illinois prison had also been at San
Quentin, and had escaped from there
with five years unfinished
"Steadman was machinist by pro
fession, and burglar by inclination
When he was sent back % San Quentin
90 finish his time. ho was put 10 work
with other conyicts IN the engine room.
Il was here that MA idea came into his
brain that for absolute daring and fear
lessness was typical Of the man. llo haC
noticed that every evening ut the tim,
the men working In the engine room
were lined up 90 be- marched away. the
machinery was stopped NJ exactly the
same moment He bad observed ~ well
that window leading 90 an adjacent
roof was not far from the top u the big
driving belt q the engine. From that
roof IL was possible 90 reach the outer
wall OF the prison Beyond the wall
was freedom. He had escaped ~ many
times that his mind reverted again and
again TO this window high up ON the
wall Of the engine room Apparently IL
was beyond all possibility ~ being
reached. No ladder was 10 be- obtained.
Had such a thing been oven standing
In place against the wall, 10 break
from the line and scale Il with catlike
deXtority. although the work Of but .
few seconds. he well know would b.
futile, possibly fatal Bullets travel
faster than legs, and the guards were
not bad shots But desperate deeds do
mand desperate means Some minds
may work with an ingenuity born OF
despair, but Stcadmnns was Of differ
ont calibor Ills plans were the out.
growth Of steadfast optimism.
zone day there came 10 him ~ II by
inspiration tho thought that tho big belt
might bo the means u carrying him 10
his goal lle found that u was impossi-
bic 20 count the revolutions ~ the driv.
ing wheel, hut there were lacings In
the broad belt. which he was able "a
distinguish M "a fort ~ blur ~ IL passed
given point For days and days he
counted, and IN his cell at night ho
spent his time In calculations lie dis.
covered the exact number ~ revolutions
the wheel made per minute lie learned
also IS constant observation just how
many times tho belt went round after
the engine was shut down
"Ono evening. when the line had
been formed ~ usual At the close of the
days work and ns the big wheel began
90 lose it, momentum, suddenly q con.
Wet sprang from the line. leaped 10 the
belt, with outstrotohcd arms graphing
both edges Of the broad leather lie had
calculated well the strength that would
be required, for tho terrific wrench did
not loosen his grasp Outward and up
ward no swung until ho reached the
topmost point Of the circumference. The
nicely of his calculation had reapod u,
reward The belt stopped. He loapod q
his feet, sprnng through tho window
and was gone before Conyicts or guard
had recovered from their establishment
He caught up guards coat and hat,
dropped from the wall and got away IN
tho dusk Of tho evening am inclined
90 believe that as q mathematical prupo
sition that was about as perfect picc,
Of work ns any man ever accomplished. "
"Aud did DO zoo away without re