The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-08
Famous Condemned Prisoner
Tells How Escape Was
Planned and Executed
LAUGHS At THE SCARE
GIVEN FLORIDA OFFICERS
Declares That He Never Killed kirkley
or Adams, But Was In His Room
When He Heard the
Shooting.
BY FRANK DUNCAN.

BY FRANK DUNCAN.
CAS- related to a reporter through his
lattice door last night.)
Frank Duncan is my correct name and
am 81 years of age. 1 was born in a
little town in Ohio and have worked on
,iver steamers and have done some labor
In rolling mills. l was married five years
ago to Miss Myrtle Haas in Chattanooga.
Since that time my wife has claimed Gin
,innati as her home, as we moved there
shortly after our marriage. My father
and mother are both living, and 1 have
four brothers. One of my brothers
is owner of small country store, and
he helped me some financially in my first
trial here. MY father knew of my
trouble in Birmingham, but my mother
las never known anything of IT..
II have had varied and probably in
teresting experience since my last visit
% Birmingham. l was in Birmingham
The first time only a short while before
[ was arrested and brought here from
Chattanooga on the charge of killing, or
participating In the killing, of Officers
ddlv that 1 never killed either of these
officers and in fact, l never saw Officer
Kirkley, and the only time l ever saw
o...cer Adams Yves when l was brought
before him for Identification upon my
lrrest. But to return to my story.
"of course | know everybody is inter-
ested In knowing how 1 escaped from
ail after being tried and convicted of
murder In the outset l want to say
that I received no outside assistance
whatsoever, and no official of this county
Knew anything whatever of my plans. |
used no money, but escaped by ingenuity
pure and simple. | knew that my plans
we're we'll laid, and that it was practically
cinch to get out of Jail when l sat
IN my cell and wrote that letter to The
Age Herald on the night of January 20,
1902 Deputy Sheriff Stradford saw me
writing that letter, but he had no idea as
to wnat l was writing and l presume
thought l was simply answering some of
my correspondence.
Escape From Jail.
1--WE escaped in this way: Bullard and
cell four doors below mine. had come
into possession of a steel saw. They
communicated their plans to me and it
became my task to make a wooden key
that would fit the big paddock which
held down the bar that could release all
of the bars in that tier of cages l con-
cluded the Job in about ten days. l made
the key out of piece of hard oak wood.
1t took considerable time to figure out
the combination of the lock finally sue
ceeded and knew that the lock could be
sprung whenever we desired. In the
meantime Van Horn and Bullard had
begun saving on the lower bar which
held their cell door. They finally COM
pleted the job and then sawed the top
bar nearly in two. When everything
was readythey forced their cell door
and came out into the corridor AS they
came to my cell handed them the wood
en- key and they unlocked the big iron
bar or lever They then pulled down the
lever and all had to do was to walk out
into the corridor. To foil the officers we
locked the lever back as it was and threw
the key away. | understand that the
sheriff found this key and now has 1t
in his possession. After leaving the cells
we walked down the corridor to the win
dow in the north end of the building,
and with the same saw cut out the bars.
by taking 1T time about we finally sue
ceeded It was then an easy matter to
drop into the yard below. Walking
around the end of the main building we
came to the gate which opens into the
alley and winch was held by big iron
bar We cut through this bar with the
same saw and then laid the saw on the
fence and were at liberty
Made for Railroad.
1--WE walked down the alley to Twenty
first street We then walked to Fourth
avenue and went east towards the rail-
roads At a mail box on Fourth avenue
/ mailed the letter to The Age-Herald.
We walked up the railroad to New Castle
and arrived there just as the miners were
going to work. Leaving New Castle we
took to the woods and made our way
towards the Alabama Great Southern rail-
road. We had not eaten mouthful for
nearly twenty-four hours until we came
to a sweet potato hill. We dug up some
notatoes and cooked them, and that Is all
we had to eat until after we had passed
Alfalfa. We were afraid of stopping for
ANYTHING to eat for fear We would be
suspiconed. Between New Castle and At
talla yanhorn gave out His feet hurt him
co had that he could go no further. Bull
lard and myself proceeded, however. and
about twenty-five miles above Alfalfa we
caught a freight train going In the direc-
tion of Chattanooga. I steered clear Of
chattanooga however and made my way
towards Ohio l saw my wife at Cincin-
natl for the first time after my escape.
vo,, understand that I separated from
Rullard before reaching Cincinnati. Ar
riving in Ohio l knocked around for
awhile picking up odd Jobs. I was afraid
70 stav in any town long at the time.
Later I made my way toward f'iorida
and I had been living In Tampa about
four months before | was captured.
I'm Tampa lived In little cottage our
on Palmetto beach My wife and myseir
kent house there. and were getting along
very we'll made the acquaintance, or
rather adopted for a partner George star
ford. He is no blood relation OF mine put
married my wife's sister.
Trouble Began Anew.
my troubles in Florida began when
made the acquaintance OF sampiei