The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-22
THE COUNTY coNvICrs ESCAPE.
They Get Away on Account of the Neg
ligence Of Guard.

llstliSt " Il NIlttttl.
The five county c0nvicts who made 4
dash for liberty, and Won it, were all
negroes. They are:
JOHN WILLIAMS, sentenced March
so. for three years for house hrcakfng.
HENDERSON WILLIAMS. stnten-
ced March 80, for three years, for house
breaking.
FULLER C.ARDWELL. sentenced
March 81, for six months, for larceny.
CLAUDE ROWLAND, sentenced
April 10, for six months, for larceny.
RICHARD PETTIFORD. sentenced
July 10, for 80 days and costs, for lar
ceny.
Pettiford was caught yesterday after
noon in the house of woman living on
the Bowery. The capture was made by
Policemen Thompson and Woodall. He
was immediately taken back to the
workhouse, where he told all he knew
about the escape and the whereabouts
of the either aamaways.
The prisoners escaped about 8 O'Clock
Sunday night. They were camping some
twenty miles from here. near DR. Fow-
ler's where they had been building d
bridge over Little river. A small fraRle
house was used as a stockade
"A guard named Joe Massey was in
charge The conyicts- nine in number
bad finished supper, but had not been
shackled for the night. Some of them
were singing while others were lying on
the floor asleep. Apparently nothing
w1as farther from their thoughts than TN
attempt to escape.
AT least that's the view Joe Massey,
the guard, took Of the situation as he
strollled away TO the neignboring wood,
leaving his prisoners unshaekled. He
heard them singing. he says, and also
heard them tear a board OF the house,
but he suspected nothing wrong, until
John Morgan, n trllsty, called Ont.
yer better come ere qllick, Mr.. Mas
sey. all y're prisoners gwine err way"
He came-but too late-five Of the nine
were gone They had ripped plank Of
a window and crawled through the hole
and fled toward Raleigh.
The rest of the story was told yester-
day by Pettiford, who was caught mere
by policemen.
II wus sleep, ies' kinder sleep Jack, you
know. / sorter knowed what WIS gwine
ON. Well, | heerd 'em tear off dat board,
an dem niggers scrummigin ont. Den
dat John Morgan, he call out Cat all de
prisoners gwine way. ] iunlped UP IN
looked around an | don't see but one
niger an | don't want ter be left long
er jes' one niger so scoot ont dat
tow'd town an' / lit out after en-.
dat was de most worrisomes race
ever had. | was feerd ter let dem mig
gers get out er. my sight an dey thought
was Joe Massey, de guard. An so
here we come, both rlnnin for dear
life-dem Williams niggers leadin' de
hole tow ID town an Lit out after 'em.
''Fim'Iy when we git close ter de- Crab
tree bridge. der's long stretch er road,
an de moon hit shine 'nigaty bright. an
dem niggers gittin' tired, dey take COCO
look at me an see my stripes, an dey
kinder slow down and come M wild
'em. Den we come on 70 town all togeth-
or till we get to PAGES store, an there
we separated
Pettiford came to the house Of his
aunt. who lives not far from the Chlis-
tan church, where ne changed clothes
What became oc The others he does not
know.
The strangest thing about t all IS that
Pettiford should hava escaped at all.
He had served out his ssltrnc. and w3s
working out his costs. In ten more days
that would have been done. Now he VIII
have to have added 70 this the time nee
esssary to pay tine officers So for catch
irtg him.
AS to the other four negroes--still
at large--the officers are keeping close
watch. as it is almost certain they spent
yesterday in Raleigh. They hardly had
time to change clothes here and resume
their journey Sunday night. !