New-York tribune., 1910-11-29
HE'LL GATE BATTLES BOY
Currents There Stop His Flight
from State Hospital.
HAD MANY CLOSE CALLS
Police Reach Rowboat Just IN
Time to Save Lad from
Waters

After lying concealed under an up
turned rowboat on the eastern snore Oh
Wards Island for hours yesterday Ben
iarlin sam. fifteen years old. an inmate
Of the Manhattan state Hospital for the
Insane. escaped from the island IN the
darkness. and for some time noated III
the row boat at the mercy OF the cur
rents of He'll Gate. Twice he was
nitched out Of the fraiI craft. but each
time he succeeded in scrambling back
after the swells from passing SOUND
steamers had subsidized
With no oars. and using small rud-
der as a paddle. the boy sported WIN
the tricky and swift running currents
That the rowboat was not run down
b,, one of the passing steamers is sur
prising.
Finally. a police boat caught sight OF
the craft of the escaped inmate Ser
geant Hogan, of Harlem Squad b. IN
charge of Launch No. 3, was patroll1ng
Tho Manhattan shore just above the
southern entrance to He'll Gate, when
the launch lanterns fell upon the toss
ing rowboat, and revealed the figure
Of BENJAMIN Sam with the rudder in his
hands
The nolice believed that the boy had
been drowned. as they had been in
formed that he had bolted for the shore
after eluding his keepr- Search for the
t,dv had heen under way some time but
tho men In the police launch suspected
the identity of the youthful paddler the
instant the lantern lights shone upon
him.
The rescue of Sam was not accom-
nlished. the police say. until the fugitive
had been thrown into the water by the
swell from the passing Commonwealth
the Fall River liner. Before the police
launch reached the side of the roWboat,
Sam managed to climb back into his own
craft. Previous to that experience ne
had been tossed overheard by swell
from the Joy liner Georgia
After the capture of the lad. who was
Wet to the skin and shivering, he was
hurried to the quarters OF Harbor Squad
3. at the foot Of 120th street. and from
there he was returned to Wards Island
sam" according to the officers OF
Harbor SQUAD B, was committed to the
Manhattan State Hospital for the Insane
about two months ago, following an
escapade as peculiar as that of yester-
day They assert that he entered
house in Brooklyn. clothed hlmsef IN
the gown of one Of the daughters OF the
house. and then attempted To make MS
escape upon a bicycle He was caught
,rd unon being taken to court, COM
,,ittad IN Wards Island. His relatives
live a+ No 80 West 119th street.
When the alarm was given on the ISL
and Yesterday morning and the report
was sent out that the young inmate
had leaned into the river Captain Nc
Roam of the boat Parkhurst moored 10
the Wards Island landing, put out into
the river in the hope Of rescutng the
Youth or recovering the body. The Man
haitian nolice were Immediately notified.
hut no trace Of the boy could be dis
covered.
Searching party after searching party
went over the ground. so the police as
sart vet none glanced under the rowboat
living on the eastern shore or Ward S
Island. Curled up under the boat Sam
Law concealed during the hours of the
morning. and he clung to his place Of
refuge all the afternoon and until dark
ness had fallen.
Then. unseen by the guards and at
tacbas he dragged the rowboat 10 the
waters edge a matter OF few feet, and
launched it, There were no oars. The
currents run swiftly along the shores Of
tba iela nd. and in a few minutes the row.
boat was swept into He'll Gate.
After his rescue Sam told some as
tonishing tales or the perlis ne en-
cnuntered.