Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-02-01
A FEARLESS CONVICT.
sTEADMAN'S DARING ESCAPE FROM
SAN QUENTIN PRISON.

Jail Breaking on Observation-Disclosures
by Feat Which Almost Bordered ON
the Miraculous.
It is one thing to catch q thief and it
is another thing to hold him. During a
meeting Of the chiefs Of police of all the
larger cities of the United States and
Canada, which occurred at Milwaukee,
there were "reminiscences of remarkable
captures and of escapes which bordered
closely upon the miraculous.
"The most remarkable escape from
prison that I can recall" said William
A. Pinkerton, twas that of Frank
Steadman from the San Quentin prison.
But I'll not tell you about it, for here
is John Glass, who caught Steadman
and sent him back to San Quentin. {"
Chief Glass pinched the brown i'm
perial on his under lip reflectively for
o moment before he responded to the
looks of inquiry bent upon him by those
not familiar with the story.
"The escape to which you refer, Pin
kerton, was made after sent Steadman
to San Quentin and not before. was
not the fortunate one to get him after
that last wonderful break. And to tell
the truth, I have never taken to myself
much credit for taking him the time /
did, for it was to considerable degree
o matter of good fortune You see. we
were just at that time keeping our eyes
open for bank robber by the name Of
Barnes, who had gone into one of the
banks out there, covered the one man
who happened Co be alone in the place
at the 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 off 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 to find out that he was
Frank Steadman, who had become no
torious even at that time as successful
Jail breaker. He had four or five escapes
from prison in southern Indiana credit
ed to him. had got away from Joliet
and had still seven years to 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 q burglar by inclination.
When he was sent back to San Quentin
to finish his time. he was put to work
with other convicts in the engine room.
1t was hare ..al an idea came into his
hrcil that for absolute daring and fear
lessness was typical of the man. He had
noticed that every evening at the time
the men working in the. engine room
were lined up to be marched away, the
machinery was stopped at exactly the
same moment. He had observed as we'll
that a window leading to an adjacent
roof was not far from the top of the big
driving belt Of the engine. From that
roof it was possible to reach the outer
wall of the prison. Beyond the wall
was freedom. He had escaped SO many
times that his mind reverted again and
again to the window high up ON the
wall of the engine room. Apparently it
was beyond all possibility Of being
reached. No ladder was to be obtained.
Had such thing been even standing
in place against the wall, to break
from the line and scale it with catlike
dexterity, although the work of but a
few seconds, he we'll knew would be
futile, possibly fatal. Bullets travel
faster than legs, and the guards were
not bad shots. But desperate deeds de-
mand desperate means. Some minds
may work with an ingenuity born of
despair, but Steadman's was Of differ
emit caliber. His plans were the out.
growth Of steadfast optimism.
Zone day there came to him as if by
inspiration the thought that the big belt
might be the means of carrying him to
his goal He found that it was impossi-
BILE to count the revolutions Of the driv-
ing wheel, hut there were lacings in
the broad belt, which he was able to
distinguish as a sort of blur as it passed
a given point. For days and days he
counted, and in his cell at night he
spent his time in calculations. He dis
covered the exact number Of revolutions
the wheel made per minute. He learned
also by constant observation just how
many times the belt went round after
the engine was shut down.
lone evening, when the line had
been formed as usual at the close of the
days work and as the big wheel began
to lose its momentum, suddenly con.
vict sprang from the line, leaped to the
belt, with outstretched arms graphing
both edges Of the broad leather. He had
calculated we'll the strength that would
be required, for the terrific wrench did
not loosen his grasp. Outward and up
ward he swung until he reached the
topmost point of the circumference. The
nicely Of his calculation had reaped its
reward. The belt stopped. He leaped to
his feet, sprang through the window
and was gone before convicts or guards
had recovered from their establishment.
He caught up guards coat and hat,
dropped from the wall and got away in
the dusk of the evening / am inclined
to believe that as mathematical propo-
sition that was about as perfect piece
Of work as any man ever accomplished"
"And did he get away without re-
captureY' some one asked.
"No, am almost sorry to say, he did
- "a