The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-09-28
ONE OF LYNCRBURG PRISONERS CAP.
TURED.
Thompson Tells How The Three EScap-
ed Saved ThF1uqh the Bars.

Peter Thompson one of the negroes
who escaped from the Lynchburg jail
during the night Of the 10Th instant,
was captured at Roanoke on the 10Th,
and returned 10 the Hill city the next
day. The negro is deaf, so that he can
only understand what is said to him
by the motion Of the lips. However,
he understood enough 10 make a clean
breast of the remarkable escape from
the Jail.
lie declared that the saw with which
the steel bars in the window were cut
was carried into the Jail by a colored
man ON the chain gang. Hecould not
give hi, name, but promised TO point
him out
Thompson did not know where the
negro secured the saw, but he said
Jesse Ruilin, the negro who is wanted
at Farmville for murder, gave him a
half dollar for it,. This was more
than three weeks ago, and Thompson
claim, the work of cutting the steel
bar, was pushed through the night
for three weeks. Rullin and Johnson
took turn at working the saw through
the night, and then they would sleep
during the day.
He explained that i'm the morning
when the prisoners stopped the work
for fear they would be detected, they
would wet small amount of bread
crumbs, which they had kept for the
purpose, force them into places where
the bars had been sawed and then
co.or with ink from a bottle which
they had in the cell This explains
why they were not detected i'm their ef-
forts To yet out of jail
Thompson said he tried to notify
the Jail authorities several times Of
what was going ON. but he was unable
TO make any one understand, a. he
had 10 do it ON the quiet. Both Ruff
iin and Johnson had threatened TO Kill
him If he gave them away, and once
when he was trying to do it on the
Iuiet he was knocked down by his |
elbow cell mates and threatened i'm
such a manner that he did not make !
another effort.
The saving Of tine hole through the
window was completed OH Saturday
tight, and then the saw was returned
~ Runin 10 the negro who had furnish
"a il to him, and it is probably still
n the Jail.
Ruilin and Johnson left thejail sun
lay evening before dark, Thompson
avs, both of them having considera-
lie trouble to get through the hole.
,uflin was the first TO 90 out and he
.aited for Johnson to wriggle through.
his proved to be a pretty tough prop
,ition for the negro. lie started TO 4
ID through feet first and stuck fast. 1t G
,Okcd for a while as though me would
OF be able to extricate himself Fin r
iy Runin came TO his rescue and d
Ished him back into the cell. Then T
,hnson removed someof his clothing, fl
rev them into the yard, and, after {
hard tug Of war, managed to get
rough and he and Ruhin went of
gether. II is known that they did Fl
IT remain together long, and after /,
.tting out Of the city they took differ &,
It directions. J.,
says he remained in the
II until just about daybreak Sunday
orning. Then ne concluded that il y
ould not be a bad idea for him 70 es- =.
pc those eight years in the peniten- y
Try, and, after considerable pushing "
ID squirming, he managed to get y
rough the opening and he quietly
llkcd outside Of the city.
The reward for Runin returned to 81
.iuce Edward county Jail has been OIL
bstantially increased, it now be- III
e $3.50 for him dead or alive. al