The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-16
EXPERIENCE WITH CRIMINALS.


New Orleans Times Democrat.
Crime has made considerable progress In
these latter days, remarked an old police
officer. but one thing has impressed me
more than any other thing in connection
with the lives of hardened criminals OF
course all offenders make an effort to es-
cape detection and arrest. This is the first
necessary thing with them. and they do all
they can TO throw the officers of the law OF
OF the right trail. But the greatest talent
shown by crooked men has been along
different lines. The thing they study most
Is the matter of escaping after they are
arrested. Occasionally they resort TO very
clever schemes to get out Of jail, and oc-
casionally they work them. too / remem-
Der the case OF very shrewd crook who
had female aid, and she was I'm the habit
OF visiting the Jail every day or so and
handing the fellow a basket with lunch in
II. The Sunday services in the jail were
generally conducted by a man who had
white side whiskers, and he wore a long
coat and SLOUGH hat While services were
still going on one Sunday in the jail. the
door which opened into the main body OF
the jail ratified as usual when some
person wanted 10 pass out. The turnkey
responded, and found a gentleman with
white side whiskers. a long black coat and
a slouch hat, standing at the door. Il want
10 pass out for just minute. he said.
with an ecclesiastical air. and the turnkey
let him out. Shortly after this the Jail
services were brought to a close. and the
real preacher appeared at the door of the
jail The turnkey was paralyzed. AT first
he refused TO let the preacher out, but when
he found that he was the real article. he
let him pass through the door The preach
er remained to clear up the mystery. and
to find out who his double was The truth
was quickly learned. The shrewd crook
had escaped. Several days afterwards 10
was found that the woman who had been
bringing the apparently harmless dinner
pail TO the jail was smuggling things TO the
crook, and I'm this way she had furnished
him with the white side whiskers. the long
coat and the SLOUGH hat. The woman had
left town with the man she liberated. and
so far as / know they were never appre-
hended. II was a clever ruse, but by no
means new, except in the imitation OF
preacher. and this new feature Of the mat
ter probably disarmed the turnkey and
caused him TO fail 10 scrutinize the man
closely enough to detect the scheme"
Il have known OF other cases equally as
remarkable, the officer continued, and
probably the most remarkable case was
that of a forger who escaped from one jail
three times. and had the record OF having
escaped more frequently than any other
crook in the country. Because Of his nu-
merous escapes he was closely watched.
But his three last escapes from one jail
impressed me as being out OF the ordinary.
The first time he got out he walked through
the front OF the jail disguised a negro
woman. The dress had been slipped 10 him
In some way by one Of the negro women
who worked in the jail, and he had secured
a SOiled hat IN the same way, and as he
was a white man. he had used the SCOT
from lamp chimney 10 blacken his face.
He was recaptured several weeks later.
officers began 10 look into the matter they
soon found that he had used no ordinary
saw, and In fact they had kept such close
watch on him that they knew no tool could
have been slipped to his cell He was again
caught He was a frank fellow. ard told
the officers how he had got out. lie had
gone back into the jail with a very fine
wire saw coiied I'm the bottom OF his shoe.
lie had used this TO file his way out of the
Jail Because OF the small teeth OF the saw.
and the delicacy OF the tool generally, he
was able TO do the work without making
any noise and thus escaped detection. But
the third time he escaped he took several
prisoners with him. II was a novel and
dangerous plan There immense
sewer running from the jail 20 the river. a
distance OF probably 80 or 800 feet. The
was probably two or three feet below tho
surface or the river. With two negroes
the forger made his way down this sewer
toward the river. The water backed
up some distance In the pipe and several
feet back from the river the pipe was CON-
pletely filled. But the forger took the
chance He dived out through the end OF
the pipe. and in a few seconds showed on
the surface OF the river. The negroes fol-
lowed and they all escaped The officers
We're puzzled. and they never knew how the
forger escaped until he told the story HIM
self when he was recapturcd. lie is now
serving out a term of years in the peni-
tentiary OF a Southern state. and Is proba-
bly, penned in for good. FOR electric wire
rs strung around the walls OF the prison.
and he enjoys the distinction OF having
given birth 10 this plan Of preventing tho
escape OF prisoners. But even now the Of
fcials live In dread lest he burrOw under
the earth. adopt some other novel plan
OF breaking out of Jail.