New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-08
Master Of the Situation.

Master OF the Situation.
After a consultation II was decided
that the best thing to do was to fin /
Wilson. 10 take pot shots at him from
cover and so draw his fire until all x
his cartridges were exhausted. But md
ing him was quite another story. 1t was
the unseen man who was feared. To
look for him with flashlights was cX-
ceedingly dangerous, AZ 1t would give
the desperate man all the advantage, and
there was none who doubted that Wit
son would use his revolver 10 the last;
30 for hours he was the master OF tho
situation.
The excitement outside the prison for
time was almost as great as il was in
side. The unusual sight Of twenty or
more patrolmcn ranged about the gloomy
walls OF the Tombs. with revolvers ready
for use. attracted the attention OF every
passerby, and soon the crowd had grown
10 such proportions that It was necessary
10 drive the idle spectators away and TO
establish lines through which pedestrians
were not allowed 10 pass.
Though the guards inside waited long
for Wilson 20 show himself. they were
disappointed He kept under cover until
an early hour this morning. IT was be-
lieycd that he had made retreat 10 the
kitchen, but no one ventured within the
door and there for several hours the
In hl nd
waiting for the first shot
II developed later that Wilson was
not in the kitchen, and then the mystery
deepened Deputy Warden Jones was
not inclined to believe that the man
could have got out OF the prison in the
brief time between his attack upon
Hoolihan and the spreading Of the alarm
and early this morning was FIRMLY or
the opinion that the man stu was In
the Tombs, though where no one could
even guess.
Mr. Jones said that there yere 320
men in the same section with Wilson
and that his cell was on the eighth
tier. When the count showed only 80
men in that section, and with cell No.
500 vacant, search for the missing man
was at once begun. 1t was just about
this time that shots were heard In the
yard, and HoolihaR rushed In to tell
of the attack that had been made on
him.
II is believed that Wilson got TO the
ground floor and then into the cellar by
means OF the service pipes that are run
to the upper floors through shaft me
chisel found In the yard near where
Hoolhan was attacked was recognized
as one Of the tools used In the furnace
room.
The prison cook, through his curiosity
came near losing his life just after IL
was known that Wilson was at large in
the prison The cook started downstairs
by a dark stairway, and one OF the
guards, thinking 1t was the escaped
prisoner, fired two shots at him.
At least four other prisoners have at
tempted to escape from the Tombs within
the last five years, but so far as could be
ascertained late last night only one OF them
succeeded. He was Frank Snyder a
"trusty," who got away on July "a, 1907.
Snyder selected the time for getting away
when the score OF keepers were changing
their posts and II was very evident the
plans had been made many days previous
10 his getaway. This was the first escape
from the new prison. which had then been
occupied FIVE years.
BY using a rope which had been thrown
10 him from the outside OF the twenty-foot
wall surrounding the Tombs prison Snyder
succeeded in getting to the street. As he
landed he jumped into a wagon. which had
been awaiting his arrival where he was
covered with blankets and then driven
away.
On July 81. 1911, Joseph Hall made a
spectacular attempt to escape. Hall was