The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1899-10-10
AN ENGLISH BURGLARS RUSE
Story Of an Escaped Convict From
Portland Prison.
The London Telegraph.

~ boW hUVnt yNhAuluaY WHhhN
Bartlett OF North strd. Borough
summoned the commissioner for th'
delivery OF savings bank book. ~
II gold. a silver watch and chain, 4
pocket knife and some papers, Deteo
tive Sergeant Thomas represented
the commissioner
The complainant In tho case Ia a well
known burglar and II is stated thai
he Ia the only man who ever effected
hla escape from Portland prison, an ea.
cape which In the original of that
described In liawley amartn novel.
Broken Hounds"
w. Bartlett, tho ox.eonVicl, after
leaving How street. told the romantic
story of his escape from Portland pris.
on to reporter 'The corrcct details
OF my escape have never been told" 1"
he said. I'm tell you what actually
happened. In ises l reoclyed sentence
Of ton years penal scrvltude. From
PehtonVille Naa taken 10 Portland.
II was awful, I made up my mind TO
ohoaps-a fcat never before accom-.
pllahed, one day managed to pick
up small piece OF hoop iron. That
seemed like Eodscnd, Every time |
had chance took that Iron hopping
with me. and worked like a Niger TO
make Il into a saw. dld Il In fear
ana trembling, for the slighscsl sound
woulc have betrayed mo. A stroke Of
luck awaited me- found convict
who had got q little bit OF a flc. lie
had no ambition and said the ile was
no good TO him, gave him my dinner
for Il and with M nle was able
60 oomplcts the saw Then I managed.
by working atealthy every evening AZ.
ter ] had been locked up for the night.
TO saw through the wood flooring TO
my cell, Every night had to replace
tho boards. 20 that the wardcra should
not see what had done. Then an
awful disappointment awaited me, The
space beneath my coll was lined with
sheot iron; but nothing dauntcd Il
eventually cut through that Then n
20, Into an alrahaft. and after three
months hard work saw my way clear
10 liberty.
AT last the opportunity came. i,l
was dark night and all was stlll.
with my sheets | had made rope,
and. as luck would have Il. had
picked up a piece OF wood called a
dog with iron hooks at each end. II
put my stool underneath the quilt 20
look a. much like my body ~ possible.
IN case Tho wardcrs should look In.
and then went down the passage Il
had taken mo thrce monthu' hard labor
TO make, After lItting an iron grating
found myaslf In the open air, and
managed To throw the hooks Of my
liren ladder ovsr a wall by this
means got onto the roof OF the ON
GERS dubtters, There was no one about
and the only sound | could hear waa
that made by the beating of my henrt. |
From the roof had 10 jump onto the
boundary wall. about ten or twelve
feet distant. daN say II was bold
leap. but you don't stick at trinca
when you arc escaping from Portland.
made the leap and was successful In
reaching the boundary wall Then
got 20 the ground by means OF my linz
en- ladder.
Unfortunately the hooks were 50 So
cure that ! had to leave the laidcr
where II was, and II Il had not been
for that might have bccn In London
In three or four days. AA Il was had
an awful experience. While making
desperate tugs at the ladder heard
footsteps approaching. and rushed
into the garden Of the Grove public
house. turned around and saw a
guard looking at the ladder A few
minutes afberward shots were fred
and bell was rung, My escape had
been discovered, The guards were run
ming by In all dlreotlonsi bw, unper-
oelvei I got through the window OF
the Roman Catholic chapel and con-
ocaled myself beneath the communion
table which proved to be something
very much like. box. could hear,
the sound OF hurrying footsteps all
night, but no one came into the chapel
until the next morning, when service
was held there,
II was not pleasant position to b,
In, can assure you. A sneeze or a
cough would have betrayed me. but.
fortunately. all went well, But. | got,
very hungry. so at the end OF about
SO hours l stole out and broke into the.
Clifton hotel. there found some,
bread and meat, cheese and tobacco,
What was OF more consequence was
able to steal hat and some clothes.
with the clothing and the food-the
sweetest food ever tasted--I returned
to my hiding place In the chapel Out
OF black coat made pair Of trou-
sers, and put on another Of the stolen
coats, which happened to be made OF
velvet. The food I divided into six
portions, and for six days I was con-,
oealed beneath that communion table,
There were frequent services. and,
what was still worse the priest used
to como In at night for private devo-.
tlOns!i
IN last had more than enough of
y and broke into the priests house