Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-23
Burglary That Proveo
Making of a Convict
specia, Correspondence of The Star.


THROUGH the recent recapture of two
convicts who escaped from Dart
moor prison there has been brought
to light the story, never heretofore
published, Of the romantic sequel to an
other escape made ten years ago.
Escapes from the most famous Of Brit
aims penal institutions are exceedingly rare
and seldom does the fugitive succeed In
retaining his freedom for more than day
or two at most. The prison Is situated in
the midst Of desolate moorland region
and is surrounded by boys and morasses
which Offer tremendous obstacles to the
convict who makes bid for liberty. II
he betakes himself to the few roadways he
is almost certain to be caught. because
they are carefully watched when it be-
comes known that any one has escaped
Stimulated by the reward Of $25 which Is
paid for the recapture Of prisoner the
farmers join in the man-hunt zealously
Before he dare enter town the fugitive
must manage to exchange his jail uni
form for ordinary clothing. This he can
obtain only by stealing 1t. Destitute Of
money he has to resort to the same method
to get food while still wearing the garb
that brands him as criminal doing
time" Escape from within the prison
walls is almost impossible-except in sensa-
up suddenly, as they are apt to do on the
moors, that those who are working outside
the prison occasionally find a chance to
give the guards the slip.
A gang of sixty men were working on
Christmas eve. 1897. in the rear of the
prison. and some distance from it. when
fog was observed sweeping down upon
them Three of them-Ralph Goodwin.
William Carter and William Martin-de-
cided to bolt when the mist enveloped
them. At a signal given by Goodwin the
three men dug their fingers into the earth,
threw the handfuls of soil into the faces of
the guard, and took to their heels. The
warders were thrown into temporary con-
fusion. but soon recovered. Cover them;
fire!" shouted the chief warder. Shots rang
out; scream followed, and Carter was
picked up dead, with bullet through his
heart. He was undergoing a life sentence
for brutal murder of an old man, and
only through the skill of his counsel had
succeeded in cheating the gallows. The
retribution that had overtaken him, it was
generally felt. was a just one.
Martin was soon afterward brought to
bay under tree. He threatened the war
der who had run him down with a piece
of granite, but was felled with bludgeon
and carried insensible to the jail.
AS Goodwin leaped over a hedge he
heard Carters death shrek and felt
the whizz of bullet that just missed
his own head. Not knowing whittier he
ran he fed blindly in the mist and fast
gathering darkness. For hours he kept go
ing. f1oundering often waist-deep through
the boys imagining that he was putting
miles between him and the prison.
When dawn broke, to his dismay, he dis
covered that throughout the night he had
been describing a circle around the Jail, and
was still within reach of a rifle from the
posts of observation on the Jail. Sinking on
all tours, he wormed his way up one side
of a tor, screening himself behind the
powders. plunged boldly down the other
side, and then dashed into the thick of
the moor again. His Christmas day was
spent in picking his way through boys,
fording rivers or leaping streams.
When night fell. famished and spent, he
the Christmas dinner. and a suit OF
clothes. He was far from suspecting Il at
the time. but it was through this burglary
that he got chance later on to redeem
he was no longer under the necessity of
hiding from everybody he met. Striking
the railway, and making occasional detours
for the purpose of "pinch!ng" food and
throwing pursuers of the scent, he reached
Davenport during the third night Of his
freedom.
But his nerves were in bad shape. and
they betrayed him. In the early hours of
next morning he was prowling about on the
outskirts of the town and passed police
man on the other side of the road The
policeman had a dog with him. The dog,
animated by mere canine curiosity. scut-
tied after Goodwin. Thinking that the ami
NAL had been set on his track by the police
man Goodwin started to run. Up to that
time the policeman had had no suspicious
Of the man. but naturally concluded, from
his actions, that there was something
wrong about him. Leveling his pipe at him