The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-06
BOLD ATTEMPT AT RESCUE.
Remarkable Scheme to Assist Q
Prisoners Escape.

PITTSBURG, July 26.-A bold and sys-
tematic plan for the realease of one or
more prisoners from Riverside Peniten-
tiary was thwarted today by accident.
The first theory advanced seemed to point
anarchist, who is serving Twenty-Five
year sentence for the shooting of H. c.
Frick during the big Homestead strike in
1892, but the conclusion reached tonight
by Director Muth of the Allegheny Police
Department is that the real object of the
rescuers was to secure the freedom of the
notorious real estate swindler, j. c. Boyd,
who is serving seven-year sentence in
the penitentiary for his misdeeds. This
opinion is shared by the Pittsburg police
officials also and many reasons are
brought forward to confirm the theory.
Among these are the fact that Boyd is
wanted in nearly every State in the Union
on charges of real estate swindleS, has
confederates all over the country and is
accounted one of the wealthiest prisoners
in Riverside.
/ The plan by which the rescuers hoped
to reach the inside of the penitentiary
wall was by tunnel from the cellar of
la house on Sterling street, nearly oppo-
site one of the gates. Their work is re-
markable considering the obstacles to be
Iovercome. Investigation today shows that
III was over 200 feet long. but because of
tits zigzag character had not reached the
prison wall. One of the officers who
Icrawled distance of POI feet in the dark
lpassageway today was compelled to re-
turn before reaching Its end by reason OF
the foul gases arising. From this 1t Is
inferred that the tunnel had tapped a
Isewer. Director kIuth, however believes
that the body of one of the tunnelers will
he discovered tomorrow when the tunnel
IL til
the man was overcome by gases and
THAT his companions fed.
| The elaborate arrangements that had
been made for completing the tunnel and
for providing for lne safety of the dig
gers is a source of amaZement to the au-
thorities An electric bell, connected with
the entrance of the tunnel in the cellar,
watchers an instant signal in case of
alarm, and an air pump had been used to
keep the tunnel free from gas. 1t is esti-
mated that the electric plant and other
apparatus used cost the would-be liberia
tors at least $1,000.
| On March 15 last Thomas Brown, who
represented himself as a Chicago solicit
tor, purchased from John C. Langfitt,
who is an engineer in the penitentiary.
the house at % Sterling street for $4,000.
> paying $3.50 down and agreeing to pay the
. balance i'm installments. Soon afterward
wife and his brother-in-law moved into
the house. and operations were probably
begun at once. The Misses Letitia and
Jennie Mccarthy, VINO lived just opposite
the house. had their suspicious aroused
because of the small quantity of fur'ii-
ture going into the supposed home of the
Brown family and by the fact that the
principal article taken in was piano
During the occupancy of the house the
shades were always down, but the piano
was rarely silent. Mrs. Brown played and
sang almost constantly. During the In
tervai when there was no music the
Misses Mccarthy heard a grinding, whir-
lring noise which gave them the impress
sion that the Browns were always grind
ling coffee Their suspicious of crooked
ness were confirmed when they saw a
load of galvanized pipe and a load of lum-
Der taken into the house. They called the
attention of the police to the place, but
no charge could be made against the
occupants.
The Browns left the house on the night
Iof July 5, leaving word of Mr.. Langfitt
that they were going to New York, but
would return on July "a to pay the first
Iinstallment on the house. Their failure
to return led to the investigation by Mr.
iLangfitt.
The theory is that the Browns were
frightened away, because all of the ap-
lparatus was found in the house with the
exception of the digging tools, which Di-
lrector Muth thinks are in the tunnel witt
1.-THE body of the digger.