The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-21
FRANK DUNCAN MAKES ESCAPE Safe Blower and Murderer
 at Large. THREE OTHERS GET AWAY Believed That They Had Out
 side Assistance. Saws Used to Cut the Bars Which Restrained Them from Free dom-A Letter from the
 Escape.

 hours of and { a. m of Frank Duncan.
 the convicted slayer of Policeman G. W.
 Kirkley. two years ago. with three other white men, was the boldest ever carried
 through successfully in this State. Duncan's case is now before the Su-
 preme Court. A decision has been await ed for some weeks and was expected any
 day. He was originally sentenced to be
 hanged December 9th, but pending the appeal, sentence was suspended. Duncan l occupied cell No. l. which is considered one of the most secure cells in the rock jail. This cell Is closed in with a door which is bolted, a lever on the corridor holding it closed with other cells on the same corridor. The small corridor is shut off by row of bars which forms a larger corridor.
 Duncan was accompanied out of the jail by three white prisoners. George Bulard, charged with murder. from Bes- semer; A. J. Dye. a Nashville man, who
 confessed to burglarizing the Birmingham
 Arms and Cycle Company's store some
 time ago, and Jeff Vanhorn of Ensley,
 who is charged with robbery.
 
 holding the doors fastened to the cells
 was sawed off and the lever moved so that the men could get out. This lever was replaced and the lock hung on again. Then the saws were effectively used in cutting out a bar or two of the corridor, which permitted the men to get into the main corridor. Once more the saws were | brought into use and hole large enough | for mans body to pass through was IL fA..- @f window ,o the rear of the jail i Brires. from 'l,ie~s it's used b the men were employed in the manufacture of a | rope, down which the prisoners went into | the yard. Then the saws were again used | in cutting a lock off the gate leading to the alley in the rear of the court house, | and to the front of the jail
 The sawn bars all show that the work l was done recently. and it is believed that | allNof it was done between the hours of | l and f. The saws used were of the best quality It is believed that there was some assistance rendered on the outside, | and that when they reached freedom there were vehicles ready to carry the men away.
 The discovery that there had been a | jail delivery was made by one of the | trusties, who found the gate leading to | the alley open. He notified Night War den Ball immediately, and a nasty inves- | tigation revealed the fact that Duncan | was gone Sheriff Burgin and Chief Dep
 uty Sheriff Stradford were immediately notified and before long telegrams were sent far and wide announcing the deliv- | cry and offering a regard for the recap ture of the men. The sheriff offered a reward of $500 for the capture of Duncan and $1O0 for the other three men. The re- ward for Duncan was increased by the State authorities.
 Frank Duncan is 34 years of age, is five | feet nine and one-half inches tall, weighs | 165 pounds; has light sandy hair and mustache. His eyes are blue. He was member of the Miller-Duncan gang of safe blowers. Miller was hanged for the l killing of Policeman J. W. Adams, who was shot at the same time that Kirkley was.
 It was charged that Officers Adams and Kirkley had arrested Miller and Duncan for the blowing of the Standard oil Com pany's safe that night. Both men claim ed that they were railroad employees. While en route to the police station. the | men fired on the officers, infiicting fatal wounds. Miller was arrested in Anniston | and Duncan in Chattanooga They were both convicted. Miller was hanged June | 2Sth last. Duncan claimed that he never saw Kirkley in his life, dead or alive. He said that at the time of the shooting | he was standing in front of restaurant two blocks away.
 The escape soon became known all over town. Many persons would hardly be- | lieve, thinking it was joke. When the truth became known. many were aroused. Duncan was the most noted criminal in
 Jefferson County since Dick Hawes. who was executed for the killing of his wife and two children.
 Duncan has written the following letter
 to a Birmingham paper in explanation of his act: "Hardscrable. Strong Island. Jan. 20. q thought would drop a few words to the public by way of explanation. hoping that none will be disappointed in calling l to see me at my miserable place of exist ence at the present time. My stocks have | raised about 75 per cent in the last few
 months and I am thinking seriously of | taking a trip over to Mysterious Island, being a victim of circumstances. and the rankest kind of persecution. think 1t very essential to my health in taking. l change of climate, and I think I have l two-to-one-shot now in showing my ner seoutors a trick with a hole in it. Tt is not prosecution that I l flee from: it is persecution of the kind, and I know that it is nor and right in the eyes of God and | that 1 SnOuld get away than to stay and be hanged for q man I never sa knew that such man existed till 1 it in the papers aftet his fatal wounc
 I could just think of getting a sembl, of justice I would stay now and SC through. After staying here and suffer | the tortures of hell for the last two yea locked in a little cell day and night, W scarcely ever a pleasant thought all l myself. and the strongest element in t l... would get justice, but craving my lii blood. Now. maybe, I won't feel In tn
 pink If can hit the grit once more, ant I assure you I will make it rather toughJ sliding for them to get me back to Bir-
 mingham by force.
 "iIowevcr. | will say if the Supreme
 Court grants me a new trial and I can get