Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-03-21
Another jail Delivery.

Jail of Scott and holland, the bold
and daring dash for liberty made last
Saturday evening by George Ashby
(wbite) and Albert Norris. alias
"Chippie" (colored), two other pris-
oners of the Jail, threw the town into
= high state of excitement. 1t was
about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when
Ashby and Norris made their escape,
and although = large crowd of people
were la town and constantly passing
the Jail, the men did not hesitate to
carry out their bold and desperate
plans of gaining their liberty.
The prisoners escape was first die
covered by Charles Mcfarland, an.
other prisoner, who saw Norris pas.
sing through cellar window into
the open air. Mcfarland, who is
given the freedom of the Jail build
ing, had just finished carrying some
coal from the cellar into the corridor
Of the lower prison department, the
door of which he left open as he is
the only prisoner confined there. He
had passed to another part of the
building, and hearing noise in
the cellar, which he left some min
ntes before, he went to investigate
and SAW "Chippie" disappearing
through the window, as stated above.
Mcfarland aud = colored boy, ern
plOyed in the Jail, quickly gave the
alarm, and in q short time a large
crowd gathered about the building.
Sheriff SmsllwOod, who was in his
office in the building, was quickly on
the outside, and hastily summoning
posse, gave chase.
The prisoners had fifteen minute
start After gaining the open air,
they ran down the jail alley past the
county hitching shed, leaped 4 fence
into Web. 1oung's garden, and turn
ing 10 the left they made across Lib
erty street into DR.. Pages field,
thence they proceeded in the dIrec-
ton Of the railroad.
At the railroad, some distance be
low the cattle pens, they were halted
by DR.. Sonner, of Mr.. Richsrdson's
drugstore, who starred before the
Sheriff's posse. DR.. Sonner succeed
ed IN capturing the negro.
Ashby crossed the railroad and
made straight for the big woods.
The Sheriff's posse. consisting of
Messrs. John X. Castlemsn, Jim
Hart, John Peyton and c. L. Royston,
who were horseback, gained rapidly
upon him, and effected his capture
near Mr.. j. w. Marshall's house.
about one and S-hAlf miles from the
Jail. He surrendered without any
resistance. Both prisoners were
brought back to Jail. Neither of
them wore shoes Norris being bare
footed and Ashby had on two pair
of socks), and the feet of both suf-
fered severely from the effects of wad
ing through the snow.
The prisoners escape from the jail
WAS made through q hole Ashby cut
in the floor of the upper corridor,
through which they dropped to the
corridor below, thence they made
their exit through the lower corridor
door into hallway, from there into the
cellar and out of the cellar window
which opens in the Jail yard in full
view of the passers-by on Church
street.
Ashby selected = place In the floor
to attack where the boards had been
spliced, and after cutting with Il
knife, conveyed to him by an un
known person, . hole large enough
ia insert a short piece of plank. he
piled up one board and with his
hands he tore up two more, making
II hole of about II 20 inches in size
Ashby seemed to enjoy his wild
run for liberty, although be WAS re-
captured, and said if the snow had
not hindered his running there was
no horse in the county that could
have caught him. He however
'eemed somewhat detected when told
his breaking Jail would add one year
to his term of Imprisonment in the
penitentiary. He is a we'll built
man, being 5 #. z ms. in height,
weighs about 100 lbs, and is about
80 years Old. He talks we'll and has
Keen eye and AL alert ear. When
neatly dressed, he would pass ~ q
handsome man He ia cnnaidsr.d =,