The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-11-22
SILL AT LARGE.
Francis. the Escaped Convict, eludes all His
PurSuerS,

| last week over the sensational escape OF
Minot St. Clair Francis, the negro convict
and desperate, from the State prison at
Thomaston. There have been good many
| different stories as to how he made his es-
cape, and some are still inclined to think
| that no one saw him when he took leave of
| prison walls. But Warden Norton told a
| Globe correspondent that the negro, when
| he broke out of the line of convicts Monday
afternoon at the time for quitting work,
ran across the prison yard and climbed up a
distance of about 20 feet on the gratings
| over the big windows, and from the top of
the gratings he swung himself five or six
| feet and just managed to grasp the top of
the wall with the tips of his fingers. A con-
vict in the line who saw the break for lib
| erty, says that Francis nearly fell back into
the yard, but that by digging the toes of
| his heavy shoes against the stone wall he
| managed to get on top, and then he had to
jump down 20 feet. The wall shows the
scratches made by Francis feet in his mad
scramble for liberty. Looking at the place
it seem incredible that even SO powerful a
man as Francis could have made the leap
from the insecure footing afforded by the
top of the gratngs and have gotten on top
of the wall, but he did it.
That Francis is an athlete was proved on
former occasions and Warden Norton says
of him: "Mentally and physically Francis
is giant His intellect is keen and sharp
and if his mind had other than criminal
bent he would be an exceptionally able
man in anything to which he might turn his
hand These qualifications make him par
ticularly hard to capture"
The mother of Francis is living in Rock
land family and sister has been living in
that city nearly ever since he has been in
prison and has visited him frequently. 1t
is naturally inferred that the convict may
have had some outside assistance and the
way prepared for his escape. Otherwise it
does not seem possible that, although i'm
mediately pursued and this whole section
notified by telephone, he could have so COM
pletely vanished. At this writing, Saturday
morning, it may well be questioned whether
any one has seen Francis since he made his
escape on Monday, Nov. 18th. Yet he has
been reported in at least dozen places, and
in several places at one and the same time,
which is manifestly impossible Friday
mornings papers had him in Lewiston,
Stockton Springs and Rockport, and in the
latter place he was said to be surrounded
and his capture certain. Policeman FriSbee
of this city, who has been on the, hunt more
or less, traced down the story of Francis
having been seen in Lincolnville carrying
gun, and it proved to have been lone hunt
er, white man. And by the way, Francis
is not a negro but light mulatto. Mr.
Frisbee found something Of reign of ter
ror in the territory where Francis was sup
posed to be. People were putting locks on
their outbuildings and women living alone
were closing their houses and going to
neighborS where there were men. Thursday
Mr.. Frisbee, with Chief Peabody of the
Thomaston police, made thorough search
in Searsport and Stockton and visited the
vessels at Cape Jellison pier without get
ting any trace of the fugitive. But that
evening word came over the telephone that
early that morning the night watchman at
, Pixies mill in Searsport had seen "big
niger" walking along the sidewalk at quite
lively gait headed toward Stockton, and
passed the time of day with him. The
watchman had not then heard of the sensa-
tion of the day, and not until evening when
the matter was talked over at the post Office
did it occur to him that he had let $500
prize escape him. Chief Peabody, who was
at the hotel in Stockton, was notified, and
the Bangor police were communicated with
and word was sent to points along the river
to look out for the fleeing convict Francis
was employed about a year ago on the works
at Kidder's Point in W. c. Jones' crew un-
der Contractor Trites, and of course is IA
miliar with the locality. He left the job
rather unceremoniously last December, TAX
ing horse and wagon belonging to his boss,
and made his first stop for the night at
camp in the woods. The horse broke loose
and came home and the wagon was recover
ed later. Francis kept on east and made the
break at Red Beach, Me-, where he shot the
watchman, and was captured.
Monday morning Francis was still at
large Although so many different and con-
tiictng accounts have appeared in print
that it is hard to tell what to believe there
seems little doubt that Friday and Saturday
Francis was on Beauchamp Point, Rock
port, and obtained clothing, food and rest
in unoccupied cottages. 1t was thought he
was surrounded, but Sunday it was con-
cluded he had made his escape Early that
morning party of searchers supposed they
were closing in upon the fugitive in strip
of woods when Charles Dyer, Thomaston
member of the posse, mistook a fellow
searcher, Jerry Rhodes of Camden, for the
fugitive and fired at him, wounding him in
the leg. Later developments Indicated that
Francis was not in that vicinity at the time.
After a thorough search of the woods and
cottages, and consultation with Sheriff A.
j. Toman. Chief of Police Luke A. Spear
of Rockland and Chairman of Selectmen j.
Ii. Hodges of Camden, Warden Norton de-
cided to abandon the search for Francis on
Beauchamp Point for the following reasons:
The dress suit case, the draperies, deer skin
and other articles stolen from the Chatfeld
studio, the shoes and rubber boots and all
other articles left by Francis at various
places on the Point were thoroughly satur-
ated with water, showing that they were
left by Francis at least two days before or
previous to the rain storm.
@l,& Al,N <,E