Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1899-10-19
BREAK 81 LIBERTY
Patrick Crowley Escapes From
Prison>>C Captured Near
the Brunswick Mill.

Patrick Crowley, a life prisoner at
the State Prison, made his escape yes
terday morning about ten O'Clock.
Crowley is engaged in the quarry and
made his escape by climbing over the
wall at the east side. He wal first
missed when the %sagebrush wagon re-
turned with a load and Crowley was
not to be found. An alarm was given
and the other prisoners locked in their
cells. Warden Henderson was in his
Immediately gave orders to send out
~trailers and not give up the chase I'M
til the mar was landed back in the
rrison, Thomas AGREE, Al Knuckles
and Captain Schatzlein started in pur-
suit and SOC found the trail leading
from the wall which Crowley had
jumped. The trail lead down toward
the river and followed to a point where
he had crossed the river. The trail
was taken up where he left the river
and the tracks lsad to d cabin situated
neal the river bank. The house had
been deserted by one of the Hickey
family some time ago, and on their
leaving the place the house was board
ed up at the windows and doors.
AS the trail led to the deserted place
the officers concluded that the man was
hiding there and the boards were
promptly pulled off. AS soon as an open
ing was made an officer looked in and
found Crowley standing close to the wall
AS soon as spoken to he came out and
offered no resistance and was at nee
conducted back to prison where he occu-
pies his old cell.
The fact that he was nailed up in the
house where he was captured wOuld in
dictate that he had outside assistance, but
at the same time be being in his prison
garb and without a coat would seem that
he had taken a bold dash for liberty and
trusted more to luck than to aid for his
ultimate escape. Crowley has steadfast
friends who would help him could they
manage in any manner, and realizing
this fact he took a desperate chance.
Warden Henderson thinks that Crow
ley had 40 assistance and that the at
tempt at escape was brought about from
the fact that the man had nothing to lose
and his liberty to gain could he make
COED his escape.
The case of Crowley is one that has
identified itself almost with the history
ofthe State. The unusual circumstances
of his crime, the arder and devotion O
his friends and their repeated attempts tC
secure his release by pardon have fur
nished topics of conversation and oc-
cupied goodly space in the newspapers
of the State.
The crime for which Crowley was sen
fenced to life imprisonment was commit
ted in the Savage mine in Virginia City
Sunday night, July 20, 1890. Crowley haC
been drunk from the Friday night pre-
vious, attended a picnic on Saturday anC
D went on Shift Sunday night without hav
Ing a wink of sleep from the Thursda,
previous.
At II o'clock on Sunday night Crowle,
went to his work in the Savage mine an,
descended the shaft to the 1900 station OF
a cage in company with shift-bos
y -NitIlClINs Cllt 1IoD@I anu oiLiit
Shaughsessy. According to the stor,
told by the latter Immediately after tn
tragedy, when the party had landed O
the platform placed across the shaft O
G that level for repairing the timbering
Nichols remarked hat the foreman wa
kicking because that shift was not dom
enough work.
Words followed between Nichols an,
Crowley when Shaughnessy heard
blow, and, looking around, saw Nichol
drop on the platform from the blow {
t an axe in the hands of Crowley. TIL
three men then got into the cage an
Hoban rang to be taken to the surface
but Crowley rang one bell to stop tn
I cage, which signal was obeyed. TIL
cage had by this time reached the 100
level, and Crowley left the other tw
and, descending to the 1900 agar
. dropped Nichols body into the shaft
- where it was found on the 1900 level.
b Crowley was tried, convicted of mul
der in the second degree, and sentence
h to life Imprisonment in the State Prise
# at Carson. Since then his case ha
h come up yearly before the Board {
Pardons, but owing to the ~strenuou
opposition offered by Nichols relative
e Crowley failed Of obtaining his liberty
until he took it into his own hands a
2 above recorded.
At the time of his conviction Grow
lev WAS % wears of ace. He is there