The Jersey City news., 1899-09-09
BOYS RAID SCHOOL
Four Reformed Youths Try
to Free Their
Chums.
KEEPERS PREVENT ESCAPE
State Institution at James
burg the Scene Of Much
Excitement
TspecIal to ..rhe Jersey cIty Newa.''l I

Especial to THE Jersey City News."l
NEW BRUNSWICK, Sept. 9, 1884
daring attempt at jail delivery of the
New Jersey Reform School at Jamesburg
was made on Saturday by four youths
who had served terms there They had
been released as reformed" and they de-
termined to free their comrades The at
tempt only became known yesterday, as
the authorities maintained strict secrecy.
Three Of the raiders are in the County
jail here. They are Harry I. Bates and
Harry Mount Of Jersey City. and George
vanderslice. The fourth raider was Wai-
ter Brewster. Of Paterson
The four lads were all discharged about
the game time. They had become inti-
mate while In the school, and after their
discharge they still kept together. II Is
about q year since they gained their
freedom. They are all about nineteen or
twenty years Of age.
After leaving the school they CORE
sponded with several inmates with whom
they had chummed. In some way these
inmates managed to inform them that
only one keeper was left In charge Of the
section at certain hours of the day. The
graduates on the outside determined to
effect rescue.
Saturday last was the day selected
for the attempt. The family" as each
of the various sections OF the school IS
known, was to have an afternoon out OF
doors In charge of a keeper.
The raid was conducted with consider
able daring. The attacking party had
revolvers and clasp-knives, and Mount
the leader. had huge bowie with a
buckhorn handle They hid in the bushes
near the edge of the campus.
The boys who were to be rescued tried
to work down toward the hedge, but the
keeper kept his charges well away from
the boundaries OF the campus This
prevented the attempt at rescue from
being successful
After waiting some time for the party
to get nearer the hedge, the raiders left
their ambush and with drawn revolvers
started to run across the open space
toward the keeper. AS they got near him
they fired their revolvers, but did no
damage. Some of the keepers charges
tried to bolt. but he corralled them and
yelled for help. The noise of the shoot
ing brought half a dozen officers and
keepers to the rescue.
The keeper had cought two of the
raiders and had disarmed them, but
when they saw the reinforcements ar
rivlng they wrested themselves loose and
ran. The others Of the gang. disappointed
In their hope OF rushing the keeper at the
first charge. and fearing to be captured,
turned and fed.
The school is near a thick Of wood, and
for this the fugitives bolfed. AS they
were crossing the road George Perrine.
a farmer, tried to stop them, but they
menaced him with their revolvers and
he changed his mind
No report OF the affair was made to
the county authorities, but the entire
force of the schools police and con-
stabulary was put ON the trail. The
farmers, too, aided Nevertheless the
boys eluded capture for five days, and
1t was not until Thursday afternon that
they were caught. They were In a small
camp in the woods, and were worn oui
with fatigue and hunger.
Charges of assault and battery with In.
tent TO kill were preferred against then
by the keeper whom they had attacked
Brewster was released on parole.
Greater precautions have since beer
taken at the school