The Somerset reporter., 1906-11-15
Escapes from States Prison.

5thICH
Minot st. Clair Francis, the colore
desperate, who made successful
escape from the Massachusetts state
farm at Bridgewtter little more than a
year ago, boted from the convict line at
the State prison, Monday afternoon, and
then climbing fence ran to the woods
and at o'clock had not been appre-
hended. Every available man from the
State prison was Immediately ordered
out to capture him and a number of
officers were also pressed into service
from this city.
At the close of work in the harness
shop the men were formed into line to
march back to their cells. When about
half way to the prison, Francis suddenly
darted from the line and disappeared
around the corner of a building His
escape was not noticed for few min
utes aud when an alarm was raised he
had disappeared. From sever al scratches
on the wall and the conductor pipe up
it's side it is believed that he gained bis
were seen leading in the direction of
the woods, but before his pursuers could
follow them any distance darkness shut
down.
Francis and William Phelps, who was
his companion in escaping from the
Brdgewater state farm, were sentenced
to state prison there last spring for 16
years for breaking and entering a build
,..., pa1 IL. A..
watchman, James Brown, Jan l5 1905
Both men were bsequentlY arrested
In ST. John, n. b., three days later and
brought back to this State for trial.
After four months previous to the
Red Beach robbery, o. on Sept II 1905,
Francis and Phelps, who had been sent
to the Massachusetts, state farm from
the Massachusetts state prison, scaled
the wall surrounding the institution at
Bridgewater, with the assistance of
three other convicts and ran into the
woods. A greater part of the male por-
ton of the community in Bridgewater
and the surrounding towns searched for
n early week for the negro. He was
seen several times and went into a
farmers house where he threatened to
kill the occupants If he wasn't given
lOOu no Whb socu III tu6 HOOuh Wilulu
few miles of the Bridgewater institu.
ton, but evaded capture.
Nothing more was heard of him until
the Red Beach robbery and his subse-
quent arrest in ST. John.
Francis escape was as sensational as
his hasty exit from the Bridgewater
state farm. In getting out of the pris-
on he was forced after climbing up the
conductor, to jump over a wall lined
with long iron spikes The leap was
more than six feet, but he landed safely
on another wall and from there easily
reached the ground: He was some DIS
tance from the prison when he was seen
running away by the guard. The light
was poor, but one of the guards turned
his rifle on Francis and fired two shots,
neither of which took effect.
Three or four hours after the escape
it was discovered that Francis had come
back to the city and had stolen a horse
and wagon, two persons seeing him
drive off. An effort was made to fol
low up the tracks of the wagon, but at
II o'clock, Monday, the negro was still
at large
Warden Norton OF the prison, offered
a reward of 800 for Francis dead or
alive and dispatch was sent to Wash
ington for authority TO increase the
amount, Francis being under sentence
here as a government prisoner, as the
building which he broke into at Red
Beach contained a postoffice.