Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-10-06
BRATTLEBORO LOCAL.
LIBERTY WAS BRIEF.
Downs and BaybrOOk, Horse
Thief and Burglar,

Recaptured aud Placed In Durauce VIE
---Ohers stu at Lnrge--- Bsybrooh's
Version OF How the Escape was Eff
fected.
Two of the quartet of prisoners who es
capped from Newfane Jail on Thursday al
ternoon of last week have reached the des-
tinaton to which they were assigned by
the county court and in addition to their
sentences they will probably have to serve
tune for breaking Jail, the penalty for
which is heavy. They are Jerry Downs,
who was sentenced to from three to four
years in the state prison for the larceny
OF horse from II. Miller of Dummers-
ton, and Albert Baybrook, the young STRAIT
ton desperate, who was sentenced TO two
years in the house Of correction for burg
lsrizing the post-oiiice aud store OF W. NJ
Brown of West Wardsboro.
Downs was caught by Deputy Sheriff
Martin of Townshend last Friday after
noon. He came from the woods in the
edge of Dover and started to cross the road
lust as Mr.. Martin and another person
happened along. Mr.. Martin was not
looking for Downs, but he recognized him
at once and called to him to halt. Downs
at first decided to run and he jumped over
a wall, but upon second thought, probably
influenced by fear of the officers revolver,
he squatted behind the wall and remained
there until the officer collared him.
Deputy Sheriff Martin took Downs back
to the Jail where he remained until Monday
when Sheriff Gordon took him TO Windsor.
Downs was exhausted when captured, and
it was feared that he would have Pneu-
monia, but by careful treatment the disease
was warded off He said that after leav-
ing the Jail the prisoners separated and
that he headed for North Adams, Mass.
He went in the opposite direction, how
ever, keeping in the woods all the time,
and it is believed that he went TO Towns
bend, thence to South Wardsboro, thence
to Sunset lake and then through Pondville
to the edge of Dover, travelling until late
at night and sleeping an hour or two on
the wet ground. He travelled at least %
miles, but when caught he was only seven
miles by road from the jail.
Sheriff Gordon and his deputies surmised
that Baybrook would strike for his home
in Stratton, and later developments proved
that their theory was correct. Jaier
Davis was sent to Stratton to investigate.
He found no trace of Baybrook, but he
believed Baybrook's mother knew where
he was, and he convinced her that it
would be much better for the fugitive to
return to Jail than to oblige the officers to
continue their search. AS a result Of his
visit Baybrook was brought to the jail by
his mother Sunday afternoon. He was
taken to Rutland Tuesday by Sheriff
Gordon.
Bayb,ook stated that he went through
WardsJoro toward home and that he
sought seclusion in an old barn some dis
lance from his home digging hole in the
hay where he could look out through the
cracks in the boards and taking in guam
tity of apples to live upon.
Baybrook said that the prisoners sawed
off the bars of the Jail door with cast
knife which they made into a saw, anC
which had been in the possession OF
Arthur Williams and Frank Pratt, the
other prisoners who escaped, ever since
they were taken to the jail. The officer!
believe, however, that the knife was fur
nished the prisoners but short time be
fore their escape. Downs said they haC
another saw, and his story is credited by
the officers.
Baybrook said there was no truth il
the story that the little girl who had &C
cess to the corridor of the Jail left the jai
door unlocked. He said that Higgins, the
temporary keeper, went into the corridor 8
short time before they escaped, and tina
when he went out he hooked the door in
stead of fastening it. This method o
fastening the door left a crack through
which the prisoners stuck a knife ant
raised the hook, unfastening the door.
Williams and Pratt, who were sentenced
to from two to three years in the house o
correction for stealing horse from Fl. R
Brown, are still at large. Deputy Sheriff
Mcclure and Jailer Davis have been t,
Ash6eld, Shutesbury, Conway and othe
Massachusetts towns in search of them
and they believe the time when the fugi
tives will be caught is not far distant.