Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-10-03
LEAVE
FRUSTRATED
James Scott, U. S. Convict
Under Six Years Sentence
Attempts to Escape.
EARLY THIS MORNING
Finds Guard Ready and at the MuzzIe
Of Gun Returns to Prison...WiII
Work ON Rock Pile.

| FOF lne last IeW mOnIQS ana since
the attempted escape of two convicts
about two months ago, the authorities
Of the Penitentiary have used more
constant vigilance and greater care
than ever to prevent successful at.
tempts Of convicts to take French
| leave and to HE themselves to parts
unknown That this care and v1gi-
lance on the part of Superintendent
Bursum and Assistant Superintendent
Garrett and other officials in charge
was not In vain Is illustrated By the
fact that plot had been going on for
few days among three or four pris-
oners who were working in the kitch-
en- and who were considered somewhat
| reliable, to effect their escape at the
earliest possible moment. According
ly at four o'clock this morning when
| the cooks and kitchen help went to
work, the strong iron bars at one kit
chen window were sawed through by
James Scott, a United States prisoner
/
ey and serving sentence of six years
in the Territorial Penitentiary, of
| which sentence less than year had
been finished. After saving through
the bars, Scott slipped through the
window and when he reached the out.
side, one of the guards on duty called
upon him to Immediately surrender
or take the consequences. Scott
deemed discretion the better part of
valor in this instance and believing
that he who does not run away now
might run away some future time,
made no resistance and surrendered.
There was no trouble, there was not
even loud language, for when Scott
looked into the dark muzzle of
breech loading shotgun aimed at him
by the guard, he was as gentle and as
quiet as II he "capers nimbly in
lady's chamber to the lascivious
pleasing of lutte" The other con-
victs who are suspected of having been
in the plot, as Scott alone could not
have sawn through the iron bars
without their knowledge or help did
not attempt to follow him but remain
ed at their various vocations In the
hitlhcn leaving. Scott to his fate. In
this they were wise and acted for lhetr
own good.
Scott was taken from the soft snap
he had in the kitchen and will here
after do some duty on the rock pile
with shackles on his ankles, and lose
the good time he has been entitled to.
This instance again shows that the
government of the New Mexico Peni-
tentiary Is of the best and that its rec
ord both for treating the inmates as
well as is possible under the laws of
the Territory and under a system that
must be in vogue In penal institutions
is as good as can we'll be devised and
executed by human minds and by
prison officials anywhere. Consider
ing the fact that the escapes have been
few and far between and that nine out
OF ten OF the escaped prisoners have
been recaptured, the record Is still
better
While there Is a very serious side to
this last attempted escape and while
1t might have resulted In the loss of
human life, as 1t did not, the funny
side of 1t might now be taken into
consideration. Just imagine how
Scott must have looked after he
crawled out of the window and
thought he had nothing else to do but
scale the wall and enjoy his liberty
and the fresh, clean, cool, healthy
morning air Of the Santa Fe Valley, to
be compelled to face about and return
ito the dungeon which he hated and
abhorred." But prisoners propose and
the penitentiary authorities dispose
and 1t is a good thing for the people
that this Is a fact.