The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-05-24
CAPT. MICHAEL KEI.IEY

S-AI i MISf1 Z,
led been found guilty of murder and
were awaiting execution in the cleo
trio chair. Pallister was not only a
Very powerful and athletic thug, but
man of some intelligence, possessed
Of many friends and considerable
political influence. He was the brains
oil the subsequent plot to escape
The night of April 20, 1893, was
chosen by The murderers to make their
desperate attempt. During the day
Roehl pretended to be sick, and at
night he asked Keeper James w. Hulse
to warm some milk for him. This
the keeper did in a shallow pan. 1t
was too big to go through the slide in
the cage, so he unlocked the door of
Roehl's cell to hand it to him. AS he,
did SO, the prisoner dashed a handful
of pepper and lime into his eyes and
grappled with him. Roehl had
scratched the mortar from between
the bricks Of the vail, and the pepper
he had saved from his food. Hulse
struggled tiercely, but Roehl backed
him up against the bars of Pallisters
cell, the latter grabbing him and hold.
ing him until Roehl secured his keys
and revolver. Then he freed Pallis-
ter, and together they locked the keep
Ell in Pallister's cell. Keeper Murphy
was then due, and they lay in wait
for him. The moment he passed the
door they overpowered him. took his
keys and revolver, and locked him in
Roehl's cell. The pair climbed to the
roof and tried to break their way
through one corner. After wasting
half an hour on this, they thought OF
the skylight. This they broke with
ease, climbed out on. the roof and
dropped to the ground
Plans for their actions after leavin,
the prison had all been completed by
friends outside. Across the river from
Sing Sing, some Is miles back from
the shore, are the Ramapo mountains,
some parts of which are an uninhab-
ited hardly explored wilderness. In
one of the loneliest regions of these
mountains the friends of Pallister had
fitted up cave with all the neces.
stiles and many of the luxuries of life.
There We're comfortable beds, a small
cook stove all the necessary cooking
utensils and hundreds of dollars worth
OF food supplies. Complete arrange
ments had been made for conveying
the prisoners to this retreat. and at
the same time for setting the author
tiles on the wrong track. Now, it SO
happened that on the night which
they had chosen for their escape the
worst storm of many years occurred
No small craft would live on the Hul-
son that night. To some extent, the
storm favored tne criminals plans, but
in the end. as will be seen, proved dis
astrous to them. At last Pallister and
Roehl stood on the Sing Sing shore
of the Hudson. They found the boat
that was waiting for them. They be-
gan their voyage. Pallister, who was
skilled oarsman. rowed the boat A
terrific southeast gale dashed the wa
ter into foaming waves and the rain
fell in sheets. The waves rose three
feet high. The men had not gone a
hundred yards before they realized
that they could never cross the river
in that storm. Their little shell of
a boat was filling with water and they
mad not even yet felt the full force Of
the storm. Now. just ahead of them,
lay two-masted schooner. There
We're three men aboard-Capt Michael
Kelley, Mate! James S. Kearnes and
'Lum" Osborne. The two escaping
| murderers decided in an instant that
the only chance of life and safety was
to board the schooner and seize her
| They climbed aboard by the anchor
chain. To Osborne, who was on watch,
they said they were friends of the cap
tain and he, not noticing their attire
IN the darkness, let them pass While
Kelley and Kearnes were quietly talk
| ing strange man suddenly jumped
| down the companionway, closely fol-
| lowed by another. The foremost in
truder evidently did not see kearnes
sitting in the shadowy background
Suddenly, entering the lighted cabin
from the inky darkness. he leyeled his
revelyer-aN Sing Sing Keepers revolt
ver- at Captain Kelley's head and
eo0ly said: Throw up your hands!