The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-03
Discovery Made Through
Suspicion Of Police
ROnndSmarl.
MET PRISONER IN STREET
Telephone Inquiry Showed Two
Other Men Had Escaped.
Prisoners Slept in Corridor.
Broke Door, Found Lad.
der and Got Over Wall.

1t was through the meeting by
Roundsman Robert ]. Jones Of Thomas
Mellen, who had been sent to the county
jail a few days ago in default Of $500
bail. that the escape of three prisoners
from the county jail was discovered at
an early hour this morning. Officials
at the Jail first knew OF the escape of
the prisoners, one of whom was Mellela.
when informed by telephone Of his
being seen on the streets.
Roundsman Jones could not at first be-
lieve that it was Melien until he ac-
costed him and remarked:
why, Mellen, / thought you were
sent to jail Saturday for stealing
chickens"
II was" coolly replied Meiien, "but
the warden let me out because he said
/ was all right"
Mellen then went into saloon near-
by and remained a few minutes, and
went away. Jones went into the say
loon and asked the bartender IL he
knew Mellen.
"Oh. yes" was the reply. HE just
told me that he and a couple of others
had escaped from Jail tonight"
The roundslnan then called up ser-
geant Purcell at the Second Precinct
who Immediately telephoned to the offi-
cials at the county jail to ascertain II
Mellen had been bailed. The reply was
that he was held in $500 bail.
"well, he was seen in Orange street
a few. minutes ago by ono Of ouR
lroundsmen." said the sergeant This
news surprised the jail officials ana
caused an immediate investigation. In
few minutes the sergeant was in
formed that Mellen had escaped all
right
! Sergeant Purcell Immediately notified
Jones and all of the policemen in the
| Second Precinct as they turned in their
calls and told them to keep a sharp
lookout for Mellen, who Is pretty well
known to the police, but so far no
| trace has been had of him. The other
| two prisoners were from the Fourth
| Precinct.
In the meantime Warden Steadma1&
at the county jail, was aroused fro2
| his sleep and informed of the break.
Quickly dressing, he made an inspec-
tion of the Jail and found tha. two
others had taken French leave
They were James Gediche. who had
been sent there from the Fourth Pre-
cinct last Saturday for petty larceny,
and John Mercoglieno. from the Sec
ond Precinct on Monday, for the same
offense. All of the keepers in the in
stitution were then called on duty and
an Investigation of the Jail was made. !
! 1t was discovered that the three men
had escaped by forcing open a doc
| on the west side of the north wing o#
the jail which opens into the yard.
| A. ladder, used by plumbers, wa
found in the yard, which the prisonersN
placed against the wall in Wilsey
street, and then they dropped twelve
feet to the street. II was nothing much
to those three men, as they were ex-
perts at climbing fences and dropping
from them Warden Steadman ir1-
mediately notified the police. and to-
day men are detailed looking for them.
When Warden Stcadman was seen
today he said that he was not sur
prsed very much, as he has had to do
lot of shifting around of the prison.
ers, owing to the alterations that are
being made at the jail.
IT have 263 prisoners here" said the
warden, among them four murderers,
and several other big criminals, and
because of the alterations being made
at the jail / have had to use one OF
the corridors for twenty-five of the
prisoners to sleep in OH cots. Those
prisoners were those sent here for
minor offenses, but I kept the big
criminals locked in cells.
1.-THE three men who escaped were
some of those who have been sleeping
! in the corridors.
1.-THE escape is due to the fact that I
have not enough help to care for all Ut
the prisoners. 1 have only two keepers
at night, with another man attending
the boiler, and another doing clerical
work.
"It is very hard for these four men
! to keep watch of 26S prisoners.
There should be at least six keepers
here at night under the conditions that
exist here at present
/ Mr.. Steadman notified Sheriff SOM
mer, who is in charge of the jail, and
who appoints the keepers.
When Sheriff Sommer learned Of the
escape of the prisoners he Immediately
made a personal investigation.
The Sheriff is said to have asked the
Freeholders for more keepers, but none
was supplied.
1t was said today that the warden
had told County Supervisor John Otter
bein that he would not be responsible
/ for any prisoner that escaped, IS he
did not think with the alterations gcing
on that It would be possible to ade-
quately protect the prisoners at night.
FIRE IN ENGINE PIT.