The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-04

K
One of the most daring attempts to es-*
cape prison recorded in the annals Of
Virginia, took place yesterday morning.
and as a result. the three desperate
negro conycts who are responsible for
it, are now in solitary confinement and
will be shortly taken before the City Cir
cult Court and given additional sentences.
AS result of the bold work, there
is a glaring hole in the. wall on the
Spring Street side Of the prison. with
only a thin outside layer Of brick now
removed.
Had the attempt been successful, and 1t.
would have been but for the fortunate
falling Of brick, which alarmed the
guards, certainly three. and perhaps
more than twenty prisoners would have
escaped. The daring work was done
with a screwdriver, which had been
ssmuggled out Of the shoe shop on Sa1ur-=
day. and just as the fatal brick gave.
the alarm. the blankets in the cells We're
being made into rope with which to
scale the wall.
DESPERATE CHARACTERS.
The negroes who led the attempt are all
desperate characters. and are in for terms
ranging from ten to twenty years for
daring crimes.
They are Wash Fields, who was IN
from Norfolk. for twenty years for bur-
glary. and for attacking a we'll known
physician and his wife; Joe jefferson, of
Richmond, alias Indian BILL for the
attempted murder OF an Italian bar
keeper, term ten years, and Nose sDcmus,
alias "Parson Nose" of Roanoke, eiSh-
teen years for attempted assault.
In No. $50 cell. which is on the second
floor. there were nineteen other long
term prisoners. and had the attempt in
auguratcd by Fields and his pals been
successful the chances are that all Of
them would have Joined in the walk
out" The three leaders will be tried In
the Circuit Court and given additional
terms.
FINE OPPORTUNITY.
While there is a doubt as to whether
the men would have been successful and
while it would have been matter OF
impossibility for all of the twenty-five
men to get away without being detected
and one or two shot to death by the
guards, the three men on whose
shoulders responsibility for the at
tempt l., placed. certainly could
not have selected a better night
for the occasion Shortly AFTER u o'clock
a heavy fog settled over the earth, and
this was particularly noticeable in the
vicinity Of "Penitentiary Bottom. for
the atmos sphere, heavily laden with ris-
ing moisture and coupled with the smoke
from the furnaces of manufactures in
the neigilborhood, formed an almost
imnenetrable veil. It was nearly impos-
sible to see over a few feet distance.
and the searchlight usually brilliant and
an excellent means of protection to the
prison, was of little or no use
The desperate. men. bent solely upon
gaming freedom for themselves and plac-
ing it before a score Of fellow cel-ma ties,
worked with will. having Struggled a
screw-driver from the shoe factory last
Saturday and concealed it In the cell.
First one would gouge at the brick and
mortar until his arms became weary from
the eXertion and then another would take
IN the Job. In two or three hours q
hole large enough to admit OF the pas
age of d large man had been made on the
inside of the cell, each brick being re-
moved carefully and noiselessly as it
was loosened from the mortar, which had
held it firmly in place.
Shortly before 4 o'clock there only re-
luained the outside layer between the men
and their freedom. Two of them COM
1s1erced piecing the blankets in the cell
together. as 1t was intended to use this
for rope with which to reach the ground,
some twenty feet beneath. Hope was
written plainly on the faces of the men.
as they worked breathfdsslv on what
they regarded as the last link necessary
in their carefully-planned chain of lib
erty.
HOPES BLASTED.
But they had reckoned wrong. Never
were men more doomed to sadder disa p
pointment for within a seconds time,
and without the re1notest warning. their
hopes were dashed to pieces. The man
who had been assigned to the duty of
removing the last layer OF bricks was a