The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-19
MAKES DARING ESCAPE.
JOHN FISHER, YEGGMAN, BORES
HIS WAY TO FREEDOM FROM
PENITENTIARY.
Fifteen Year Tcrmer is First Man to
Leave from New Building-Had
Cracked Safe at Lancastcr-Rcward
offered for His Arrest.


Offered for His Arrest.
Columbia, Nov. 17.-JOhn Fisher,
serving term Of Is years for safe
blowing from Lancaster county, hav-
ing been convicted in 1906, made a
daring escape from the State peni-
tentiary some time Saturday night.
That the prisoner had escaped WAS
discovered yesterday afternoon when
the count was made just before lock-
ing the main prison building for the
night. The escaped prisoner bored
out the iron grating Of the window to
his cell on the second story Of the
main prison building, dropped 15 feet
to the ground, crept cautiously behind
guard who was walking around the
building at the time, ran swiftly across
the prison yard to the hosiery mill
building, broke open a window, climb
ed out on the roof, secured a long
rope and lowered himself to the
banks OF the Columbia canal and
made his escape.
1T was one Of the most daring
escapes ever made by o prisoner from
the State penitentiary. He was the
first prisoner to ever escape from the
new prison building" said Capt D. j.
Griffith, superintendent OF the STATE
penitentiary, yesterday. The prison
officials have offered q reward of 500
for his arrest.
John Fisher and Charles ODay
who were sent to the State peniten-
tiary in August, 1905, and held on a
charge Of safecracking, were SEN
fenced to Is years each by the late
Judge o. w. Buchanan in Lancaster
county August II, 1906. Fisher. who
made his escape yesterday, was 46
years old at the time he was put in
prison, and O'Day was 80. Fisher
was born in Florida. The details of
the case were not known by the Off
cials of the penitentiary outside OF
the fact thar they haJ committed the
crime in Lancaster county.
John Fisher is described as being
five feet, two and seven-eighths
inches in height, with black hair,
brown eyes and a dark complexion.
He had scar on the outside OF his
left thigh, large scars on the outside
Of the right leg and scars on both
forearm and wrist. At the time of
his escape he had on the prison
clothes.
Fisher must have bored away the
bars" said Capt. Griffith yesterday
discussing the escape. He occupied
cell on the second story Of main
prison building. He must have been
at work on the job for several days,
and possibly week, because it would
have been impossible to remove the
bars to the cell in one night. We do
not know exactly when he escaped.
This afternoon, when the prisoners
were counted, as usual, we found one
man short and Immediately began an
investigation. We found in five min
utes' time that Fisher was the man
that escaped. 1 do not know what in
strument was used to remove the bars.
Fisher escaped some time Satur-
day night 1t was useless to put the
blOOdhOunds on the trail this after
noon. because it was too late. l will
offer a reward OF 500 for his return
to the penitentiary.
THE window of Fishers cell in the
main prison building is from Is to
"A feet from the ground. He must
have bored out the bars with some
kind OF an instrument and then,
swinging down, dropped to the
ground. There is a guard that walks
arou.-d the building all night. Last
night William II. Hurt was on duty.
walking around the prison building
until l o'clock. He was relieved at
that time by NJ. II. Day The building
is about $50 feet long and SO feet
wide.
From the main building Fisher
evidently crept cautiously across the
penitentiary yard to the hosiery mill
building. He broke open window and
proceeded to the roof He found a
long rope somewhere and, tieing it O
the top of the building, lowered him.
self to the banks of the Columbia
canal and made his escape
PETITION PRESIDENT FOR SUI