The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-25
TRUSTY BREAKS TOMBS JAIL
FIRST PRISONER rO ESCAPE FROM
NEW PRISON.

q He Gets Away On q Hruck -Hsu
Been ID m Days Of o Meuths s~eatonce.
Tho fret prisoner TO escape from the
Tombs since the new prison was built
climbed up over the twenty foot wall by
q rope thrown to him by oonfoderatss
early last evening. jumped onto q passing
truck that seemed to at perfectly into the
plan, AMI made q clean getaway. Tho
prisoner was Frank Schneider, rs years
old, a driver. who lived at o27 East Six
teenth street. Schneider was arrested for
disorderly conduct on July I by Police
man Landers OF the East Twenty-seoond
street station on the complaint Of a woman,
Who said he entered her apartments at
300 Avenue C and used indecent language
and broke UP some Of her furniture. Schnsi-
der vas sentenced to three months in the
workhouss by Magistrate Wahls in the
Yorkville court on July 2
Deputy Warden Jones Of the Tombs
said last night that Schneider was drafted
from the workhouse on July . 10 work
around the Tombs, but IL he was sentenced
on that date it doesn't appear that Sohne'-
der ever went to the workhouse. Schneider
had been acting as waiter in the dining
room on the top floor, where the night
keepers have supper served between 10
and II o'clock.
shortly after Q O'Clock Schneider went
down in the elevator from the top floor 10
the ground door OF the Tombs. thereby
4 - \ II akaN N..1aftAa pokIal Dnl
uss the elevators. Then he went into the
Wardea's Office alongside the main entrance
to the building and proceeded 10 NIL the
water cooler. Deputy Warden Jones was
in the ONCE at the time. but didn't pay any
particular attention to what Schneider
was doing. Because the water in the
prison pipes has been cloudy OF late the
water cooler in the Office has been filled
from the hydrant on the FRANKLIN street
side Of the prison yard. Schneider had
emptied one pail Of water and had gone
out for another when Deputy Warden
Jones noticed that he g absent much
longer than was necessary.
The Deputy Warden hurried out into
the prison yard and there. dangling beside
the steps leading down from tho Bridge OF
Signs, and on the east side Of the stairway.
was a rope. II was fastened to an iron
brace at the top Of the prison wall. Warden
Jones called an engineer and had the rope
cut down. after which he sent keepers out
around the prison wall on all sides TO look
for traces OF Schneider,
How the rope was fastened FROM the
outside % that it supported the prisoner
in his climbing was something that couldn't
be explained last night unless u was FAST
ened 10 a three foot iron fence that runs
around the prison wall. II was thought
that this rope was 30 fastened by Schneider
confederates, and that after the prisoner
had mounted the wall he pulled It up and
fastened il to the iron brace to support him
in his twenty foot drop TO Franklin street
II is likely that ne hurriedly tossed II back
over the top Of the wall after he had gained
the street. The rope was somewhat heavier
than the ordinary clothssline.
A group of boys we're playing on the north
east corner OF Franklin and Lafayette
streets AZ the time Schneider made his
escape. They said that just before they
saw him three men walked through Frank
lin street alongside the prison wall VIII
called something In muAhsd tones. Their
a man who proved to DO Schneider ap-
psarsd and walking over 10 one OF the boys
Thomas Martin Of 4Si Pearl street. SAID
Don't say anything. sonny
Just at that momen q four wheeled truck
with high, crstsiike sides and drawn by one
horse came leisurely up Lafayette stree
past tho Tombs. When Schneider saw 4
no ran over and climbed in behind thu
driver. after which the boys saw the drivel
toes q blanket onto the escaped prisoner
Then the driver whipped up his horse. and
a. it vent out Of sight the boys saw tina
Schneider vas stretched out behind th'
drivers seat, entirely covered by rho blanket
Then the three men who had passed jus
before Schneider escaped hurried ava,
from the opposite corner where they hat
been waiting.
When Deputy Warden Jones had assuret
himself that Schneider couldn't be found
he had 9 census OF the prison taken ant
found that he had SCI prisoners, one lea
than there should be. Police H~eadquarter
was notified and two men from the Dcteo
tive Bureau and two detectives from tn
Eiixabeth street station were sent out ;
hunt for Schneider.
The hour that Schneider chose for goinI
over the wall was 7 o'clock. just the tim
that the day and night guards in the priso
Yards are changed. The warden said tina
escape would not be possible in the .
hat Schneider got out II the guard hai
been on the Job. Although Deputy Warde
Jones said that Schneider was dressed !
a white suit such a. street cleaners veal
with a blue and white checked shirt under
meath, the BOYS who talked with him wer
sure he had on dark trousers and q gree
ahirt No trace was found of any discarde