Evening star., 1908-01-19

A3Ntk
~ TOT in all the annals of adventure will you
~ find such stirring tales those relating to
escapes from great prisons. 1t is of
keen wits OF long patience set purpose and Passon 1
be devised To strong man with a lifetime
behind bars in prospect, what is year, two years,
five years, spent in scraping away mortar with his
fngernals?
His ailers have many things to think of besides
his safe keeping; the other hand, he is tree to
bend all his faculties, night and day, on ways and
means, and the results indeed full of human in
terest. have often spoken with prison governors
on the subject, both at home and abroad, and sat
almost breathless with interest tales were told
of escapes and attempts ingenious and daring
that they commanded the admiration and sympa-
thy-purely personal and unofficial, of course-of
even these stern disciplnarans
Governors have shown keys made of wire from
tin and twisted strands of penal oakum,-keys
that would open massive doors with startling readi
And think of master key to almost every
gate in State prison, forged by convicted black
smith entirely from memory! The had seen
the original displayed in the chaplains belt two
or three times, and had accurately impressed
each ward and his eager mind that the
skeleton he reproduced with such patient labor
was, if not perfect copy at least an effective sub
stitute. But prisoners using tools of any sort,
having access to even the most unlikely material,
will contrive keys, saws, files and other implements
that accomplish miracles as open sesames.
A convict who plumber and gasftter by
trade, but who had turned burglar not long since,
made himself master key out of couple of rusty
nails, and with amazing daring passed himself with
its aid through three ponderous gates until he
at large. Nor was he ever recaptured And hard
wood spoons, steels from a woman's corsets, stray
scraps of wire and tin,-an potential weapons
of liberty to the of brains and patience whose
heart fercely aches for freedom
Asked the Prisoners Help
THERE are cases on record too where the governor
of State prison has not been unwilling to avail
himself of prisoners skill to extricate the officials
from difficulty. On one occasion chief warden
given all the keys to lock up in the prison safe
but in his hurry to get his work done he injured the
delicate lock and could not open it. Hours of en-
barrassment passed; for not the governor
could leave until the keys were securely locked
away. "Send for Kempton,' suggested the deputy
governor. Kempton was one of the most notorious
house and safe breakers in America, and he was
speedily the spot with his bag of tools like any
ordinary workman, and asked, with smile how
much of his fifteen years was to be Temtted If he
did this job? In less than ten minutes the big
safes door swung back before the amazed officials.
The annals of Sing Sing full of daring escapes.
A typical case that of Pallster and Roh1f two
convicted murderers. By frequent appeals they
had headed off the day of their execution, and at
length decided escape at any cost t-even that of
life itself. Late night Palster called for drink
of milk, and the official on duty opened the cell
door to give it him, he was seized, dragged in, and
overpowered. The desperate then locked the officer
in the cell, and, after securing his keys, released
his comrade Rohlf, when they in turn overcame and
disarmed the second night watchnan. This done,
they offered release to three prisoners with
whom they had made friends. These declined the
doubtful benefit. however; whereupon the two
murderers climbed the skyght reached the boun-
dary wall, and dropped to liberty by the broad
Hudson, which they crossed in a small boat.
At about the same time another escape occurred
from the famous old Tombs prison in New York.