The Portland daily press., 1899-07-03
BEHIND THE BARS.



in the hands Of the officers Of justice.
Plummer was sent TO 1homaston to
serve two years sentence for larceny.
He was model prisoner at the states
prison and was allowed much more iiber-
~ and many more privileges than is
usually accorded TO the inmates of that
Institution. A slightly built man, about
80 year old, with thin face, weak chin and
SD fly blue eyes. Plummer does not APP
PEAR to be man who would loEg stand
privation of any kind, and In fact he
would lead one to believe that he was
approaching the last stages Of consump-
ton. At the prison IL was Plummer's
duty TO visit the women's department
twice day, carrying supplies and other
wise assisting about the work In that de-
partment. He had five more months Of
his sentence to serve when late in the at.
ternoon of December 9th. Plummer was
st work in the prison Office cleaning the
room. Before this, as he told a;TIMES
reporter or Saturday, he had often seen
end talked with Rose Carson White, and
they had agreed to leave the prison to-
gether at the first opportunity. Plummer
says that Rose White was the one who
suggested that they make an attemps at
escape and she also laid the plans for the
break. Ithappened on this afternoon
that Rose White was sent into the prison
office to help Plummer about the work
there, and the two prisoners were left
alone. The White woman then told Plum
mer that the time had come for theyat-
tempted break and dressed just as they
were they walked boldly out Of the prison
Office and to the railroad track which is
not far away. Pluminer says that he
wore thin suit Of brown clothes and had
no oyerooat. He had secured pair OF
mitteuF, however, and wore two shirts.
The White woman were "a tain dress and
was not at all prepared fer tbs cold de-
cemher weather.
II WAS growing dirk very fast when the
two prisoners left the prison behind and
ran mp TO the railroad track. After
travelling two miles and a half they came
to barn near the track and in this they
passed the night and the next day. At
dark the next day Piummer and the
woman ventured out of their place of
concealment, and the man, who had some
money, managed to buy something tn eat
at farm house. That night they walked
about three miles when they became so
chilled by the bitter cold and so exhaust
ed that they entered another barn and
passed the second night outside of the
prison walls
IN COLD AND STORM.
In the meantime the prison authorities
were hunting the whole countryside over
for the escaped convicts, but could not
find clue to their whereabouts. Plum
mer feared that If he remained with the
woman he would be caught and advised
her to return to the prison and give her
self up to the authorities. Both of them
had suffered a great deal from the cold,
and the White woman had declared that
she had about enough of this attempting
to run away. She is not a large woman,
but physically seemed better able to
stand the cold than her companion. Early
In the morning Plummer left Rose White
| In the barn and started out alone He
headed for Portland and walked all day,
keeping in the woods and out of sight
| as much as possible. Mrs White after
Plummer had left her. started off in an
other direction. The day was bitterly
cold and as night came on grew colder
the thsrmometer registering much lower
than It did during the whole winter.
Mrs. White had both of her feet frozen
and at last applied for food and shelter
at q farm house. This was given her.
but the prison authorities were notified
Of her whsreabout for she had been REQ.
ognized and she was taken TO the prison
again.
In tine meantime, Plummer, thinly
clad and half starved, continued ON his
way. When at last the man was nearly
frozen and almost dead from exhaustion,
he enteredsthe woods, stripped some pine
branches from the trees and made rude
shelter. Then he built q fire In front of
1t and went TO sleep. When the Dire got
low Plummer built 1t up again and In
this way he passed the night following
his separation from Mrs White. The
next day he got courage enough TO go to
farm house In lonely spot and there
he bought some food and hurried away
again. He kept near tbs railroad track
and at last came to long, high trestle
crossing river.
Al don't know how / ever managed to
get across that trestle,'' said Plummer,
Saturday, when telling OF his escape. "It
was a very DANGEROUS place to cross, but
did Ii by crawling on my hands and
knees. 1t was dark when crossed this
trestle. or could never have had the
courage to try 1t. Finally ] got to Bath,
crossed the river there and kept ON TO-
wards Brunswick. l reached Fresport on
Sunday. slept in barn and then came
to Portland. came near dying many
times, in fact did not expect to get to
Portland alive"
1t may be remarked here that the prls-
on authorities at last gave up searching
for Plummer. When they found the White
woman In such desperate condition aud
50 badly used up from the cold they made
up their minds that Plummer must have
died In the woods, and so all attempts
to find him were given up. Ii seems
strange indesd that man SO thinly clad
and so poorly nourished should have
stood this outdoor life SO many days In
such cold weather when stronger peo-
pie than he evidently Is would have Civ.
en- up the attempt TO escape
Reaching Portland Plummer found
shelter ami something to eat at last, and
after staying here for some little time
went ON to Gilead where he got work az
a wood chopper and lab0red honestly I'M
| til about two-months ago.