The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-27
PLOT TO Free PRISONERS
Tunnel Under the Western Penn
sylvania Yenitentiary.
officials Regard IL as "A Conspiracy
to Release Alexander Ecrl&mnn.
who Shot ii. c. Frlck in 1S32-
Excavation Over Two Hundred
Feet Long-Frustration of Plans.

PITTSBURG, July ga plot to re-
lease prisoners now confined in the West
ern Penitentiary. at Riverside. by tunnel
ing into the institution, and chiefly with
a view to liberating Alexander Berkman,
who shot Il. c. Fricll, in the Offices Of the
Carnegie Steel Company on July is, 1892,
was discovered this afternoon. The tunnel
began in the cellar OF a two-story brick
dwelling at IS Sterling Street, across that
thoroughfare from the southern wall of
the penitentiary.
The house was on the property Of John
C. Langfitt, a real estate agent, but
man named Thomas Brown purchased il in
March last. and had made two small pay
ments. It was occupied by two men and
two women. An electric wire was being
run toward the prison The discovery was
made this morning.
1t is supposed that the colspirators were
frightened away by a cave in the tunnel.
The Allegheny police and the prison au-
thorities believe that when the subterran-
can passage is laid bare tomorrow, the
body Of one of the diggers probably killed
By the cavo-in will be found. While an
archistic documents found in the Eoase lead
TO the supposition that the release OF A.
exander Berkman IVES sought. there is
also a theory that friends of J. c. Boyd,
a real estate swirdler. wanted in a dozen
cities and sentenced TO the penitentiary
here. tried to liberate him.
The penitentiary fronts on the Ohio
River. On the east side is Sterling Street,
running north from the stream. Running
east and west along the north wall OF the
prison and ending on Sterling Street is
Refuge Street. Keer Street runs parallel
with Sterling Street. but begins only at the
north wall Of the prison, at a point on
Refuge Street, 25o feet from Sterling.
Rented the House.
About the end OF April a man giving
the name of Thomas Brown, Of Chicago.
tried to buy house from John Brown,
the house being at the corner of Kerr
and Refuge Streets. The parties could
not agree on terms. SO the stranger
bought The house at IS Sterling Street.
This house was forty feet from the gate OF
the penitentiaTy used by wagons. The next
women move in with a piano. gasoline
stove and a few chairs. One Of the women.
q tall, handsome, black-haired, middle
aged woman, was a fine singer and piano
player. She played and sang all day and
late into the night. More than two
months passed and no more furniture
came into the house and this made the
neighbcrs suspicious.
Miss Letitia Mccarthy. a spinster. hav-
ing heard the vhirTing OF some kind Of
machinery, told Policeman Young, who
told Warden Wright, of the penitentiary.
few nights before on July 8 special
delivery letter hati been brought to the
house and next day the piano and voice
were heard no more and none Of the in
mates was seen. Warden Wright
strengthened the guard on the wall and in
the yard and re-fssued the old instructions
that in case of a hcle appearing in the
ground, water from one OF the twenty
fire plugs was TO be turned into it to
drown out any persons who might be in a
tunnel.
Yesterday was the time set for the
second rayment on the house. Thomas
Brown did not appear and today Warden
Wright sent for the Allegheny detectives,
and Philip MeDorough and Leon Eistein
went TO the house. accompanied by Lang
fitt who opened the door with an extra
key In a pantry OF the kitchen was a
buggy wheel. supplied with crank fitted
with a broad tire and belt which operated
q fan.
From the fan length of galvanized pipe
was let through one aoor into the cellar
In one corner Of the cellar was a cupboard
and there the detectives lifted up a trap
door and discovered tunnel Michael Red
mund a policeman and Ferguson, the
chief engineer of the prison, entered the
faat rrh fv-n
and half feet wide. On hands and knees
they crawled under Sterling Street and
reached the piling which supports the five
foot stone wall CT the. prison.
Here the passage took an offshoot and for
161 feet more the two men followed The
detectives were operating the fan but still
the foul air which had accumulated drove
the explorers out. They could not turn
around, SO backed out.
Tools for ExcayatinE.
In the tunnel they found dry battery
electric light. II two places they found
electric push buttons and bells, which com
municated with buttons and bells In the
kitchen and in tho parlor alongside the
piano. Most of the digging had evidently
been done with Silent digger" a cres-
cent-shaped piece OF steel with two han
dies, which could cut down the loaming
soil expeditiously. A pile Of dirt 10 feet
high was In q coal bin in one corner OF the
cellar. A sheet OF paper containing what
seemed TO be a Message in cipher was
found on the back OF a torn half OF a card.
Warden Wright says 1t would have been
impossible TO effect q rescue. The shops
are not used now. owing 10 the new anti
prison labor law, and when the prisoners
are exercising OF working in the yard they
are always accompanied by numerous
guards. Guards are always on duty in the
cell tiers, SO that no prison delivery could
be effected there. The theory is expressed
that the oonspirators intended to blow
down 200 feet Of the wall with dynamite
while the prisoners were exercising in the
suppositien that in the excitement Berk-
man could be slipped into the house.
nnpyf kcceut IN Substtt.sat