The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-05-18
HIS ESCAPE FROM PRISON.
The Story of a Professional
Burglar and Thief.
VERY REMARKABLE FEAT.
The Only Man Who Ever Broke Out OF
Well Known English Prison
How He Was Recaptured-An Ex-
Convict's Experience.

How He Was Recaptured-An Elk
Convict's Experience.
William Bartlett, an English ex-
convict, and the only man who ever
affected his escape from Portland prs
on in England, tells this romantic
story of his escape from Portland
prison to a reporter. THE correct de-
tails of my escape have never been
told" he said. I'll tell you what ac-
tually happened. In 1868 | received a
sentence Of ten years penal servitude.
From Pentonviile was taken to Port
land. 1t was awful. l made up my
mind to escape-a feat never before
accomplished. One day l managed TO
pick up a small piece of hoop iron.
That seemed like a godsend. Every
time had the chance l took that iron
hopping with me, and worked like
niger to make it into a saw. l did it
in fear and trembling, for the slightest
sound would have betrayed me. y
stroke of luck awaited me. l found
convict who had got a little bit of
file. He had no ambition, and said the
file was no good TO hiIn. l gave him
my dinner for it, and with the file
was able to complete the saw. Then
managed, by working stealthily every
evening, after l had been locked up
for the night, to saw through the
wood flooring of my cell. Every night
l had to replace the boards. so that
the warders should not see what l had
done. Then an awful disappointment
awaited me. The space beneath my
cell was lined with sheet iron; but,
nothing daunted, l eventually got
through that. Then l got into an air
shaft, and after three months hard
work saw my way clear to liberty.
"At last the opportunity came. 1t
was a dark night and all was still.
With my sheets l had made rope
and, as luck would have it, l had
picked up a piece of wood, called a
dog with iron hooks at each end
put my stool underneath the quilt, to
look rs much like my body as possible
in case the warders should look in,
and then went down the passage it
had taken me three months hard labor
to make. After lifting an iron grating
l found myself in the open air, and
managed to throw the hooks on my
linen ladder over wall. BY this
means l got onto the roof of the Off
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about, and the only sound could hear
was that made by my beating heart.
From the roof had to jump onto the
boundary wall, about ten or twelve
feet distant. l dare say it was bold
leap, but you don't stick at trifles
when you are escaping from Portland.
made theleap, and was successful in
reching the boundary wall. Then |
| got to the ground by means of my
linen ladder.
Unfortunately, the hooks were so
/ secure that had to leave the ladder
! where it was, and if it had not been
for that l might have been in London
in three or four days. AS it was had
an awful experience. While making
a desperate tug at the ladder 1 heard
/ footsteps approaching, and l rushed
! into the garen of the Grove public
house. l turned round and saw a
i guard looking at the ladder. A few
minutes afterward shots were fired
and bell was rung. My escape had
I been discovered. Guards were run
ming by in all directions; but unper-
/ ceived l got through the window of
/ the Roman Catholic chapel and con-
I cealed myself beneath the communion
I table, which proved to be something
very much like a box | could hear
the sound of huTrying footsteps ali
/ night, but no one came into the chanel
( until the next morning, when service
was held there.
Z 1t was not pleasant position to be
in, l can ssure y0u. A sneeze or a
cough would have betrayed me. but.
fortunately all went well. But l
! got very hungry. SO at the end If
about thirty-three hours | stole out
and broke into the Clifton Hotel. /
there found some bread and meat.
cheese and tobacco. What was of more
consequence, | was able to steal hat
and some clothes. With the clothing
and the food-the sweetest food ever
tasted-I returned to my hiding place
in the chapel. Out of a black coat |
made pair Of trousers, an I put on an
other of the stolen coats, which han
pened to be made of velvet The food
/ l divided into six portions, and for
six days | was concealed beneath that
communion table. There were fire.
quent services, and, what was still
worse, the priest used TO come in at
night for private deYotiOns.
At las. l had more than enough of
it, and broke into the priests house
4 with the object of obtaining some
money. i could lind none, however.
There was some silver plate, but that
was of no use to me. ] obtained Il
/ white stole, however, and with that
made something resembling a shirt
/ Feeling now fairly confident as TO my
appearance, | walked down the road.
and saw a mikman. who afterward
found gave information about me. At
Portland | concealed myself in a field.
Two men came in blackberrying, AID
| had to get out. They asked me
where was going. | said to BlanI-
ford. They volunteered to show me
the wey, but we bad not gone very far
before we met two police in spec tors.
They asked ME to go into pubic
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