Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-07-27
A TUNNEL INTO A JAIL.
Remarkable Attempt to Rescue
Prisoners.
POSSIBLY WORK OF ANARCHISTS
Pittsburg Prison Is the Present
Home of the Man who Tried to XIII
III. G. Frick-Em Goldman LIS Said
to BE Implicated.

ii. G. Frick-Emma Goldman liz snid
to he Implicated.
Pittsburg. July 27.-One of the boldest
and most systematic plans for the re-
lease of one or more prisoners from Riv.
erside penitentiary has been thwarted by
accident. The first theory advanced when
the matter was discovered seemed to
point to the release of Alexander Bcrk-
man, the anarchist, who is serving -
years sentence for the shooting of III. G.
frick, the steel magnate, during the big
Homestead strike in 1892, but the CON
clusion reached by Director AIuth 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. G. Boyd, who is serving q
seven years sentence in the penitentiary
This opinion is shared by the Pittsbure
police officials also, and many reasons
are brought forward to confirm the
theory Among these are the facts that
Boyd is wanted in nearly every state in
the Union on charges of real estate swim
ding, has confederates all over the coun-
try and is accounted one of the wealth.
est prisoners in Riverside.
The plan by which the rescuers hoped
to reach the penitentiary was by a
tunnel from the cellar of Il house on
Sterling street, nearly opposite one of
the gates. Their work is remarkable
considering the obstacles to be over
come. Investigation showed that it was
over 200 feet long, but because of its
zigzag character had not reached the
prison wall. One of the officers who
crawled distance of POI feet in the dark
passageway was compelled to return be-
fore reaching its end by reason of the
foul gases arising. From this it is in
ferred that the tunnel had tapped sew.
er. Director Muth, however, believe.
that the dead body of one of the tun-
nelers will be discovered when the tunnel
is opened from the surface, as is the in
tention. He thinks the man was over
come by the gases and his companions
for fear of complications fled.
A Well Equipped Tunnel.
In the tunnel the men found dry bat
tery electric light. In two places they
found electric push buttons and bells
which communicated with buttons and
bells in the kitchen and in the parlo
alongside the piano. 1t was plain that
the woman at the piano could exchange
signals with the men in the tunnel AMI
that the playing and singing was largely
intended to drown the sound of the fan
Most of the digging had evidently beer
done with n 'silent digger" crescent
shaped piece of steel with two handles.
which could cut down the loamy soil ex
peditiously.
A pile of dirt ten feet high was in n
coal bin in one corner Of the cellar. A
sheet of paper containing what seemed
to be n message in cipher was found. Or
the back of torn half of a card was .
nnptninipu ba lf,c1,
ness. altruism, egoism." The other side
of the card contained printed invitation
on which the words "Hygcia Hail.
"Fcdcration of Social" Corner Ogdcr.
and Roby Streets" We're deciphcrablc
There are no streets of those names IT,
Pittsburg or Allegheny.
1t became known last night that two
strange men who had been seen entering
the Sterling street house often visited
the house of cobblcr named Dietrich
on Spring Garden avenue, Alleghany
Dietrich is an anarchist and is Il friend
OF Jacob Bauer and Karl Knold, who
went to the prison with Beriman. but
have been released When the afternoon
paper extras appeared on the street
Dietrich closed up his shop and disap
pearcd. Jacob Bauer could not be found
One of the Sterling street neighbors as
scrts that one of the women seen in the
house bore striking resemblance t.
Emma Goldman, who has always inter.
ested herself in Berkman's behalf A
force of city street employees will he put
to work this morning to dig down into
the tunnel on Sterling street and follow
the passage to the end by breaking down
the earth roof.
BerIman's Crime.
Berkman's attempt on the life of II. G..
Frck was made during the big strike
at the Homestead works of the Carnegie
Steel company Qimited) in July, 1892.
He forced his way into Mr.. Frck's office
in the Hussey building, 232 Fifth avenue
and opened fire on Mr. Frick. Two bul.
let's took effect, and before Berkman
could he overpowered he had also stab.
bed the steel manufacturer. Mr.. Frick
fingered between life and death for sev.
eral weeks, but finally recovered.
Berkman was sentenced to the peniten.
tiary on Sept. 10, 1892, for a period OF
% years. Two applications for pardon
for Berkman have been made unsuccess.
fully.
ExOnerntes TugbOat Men.