The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-08-05
THEY BREAK JAIL
Topeka Prisoners Do the Monte
CristO and GirOd Acts.
Asa Pendergast Unsung by
Fame, but He Slips Shackles.

Everybody has heard of the escape
of the Count of Monte CristO from a
French prison. but few have heard OF
the Jail delivery of the Pendergast from
the afiI delivery of Asa Pendergast from
TWO dozen famous escapes in history.
and there have been the same mum Der
Who have left their pleasant quarters
in the city prison since April L
Difficult as it may seem to carve
through a ten foot stone wall with a
toothpick il is d harder task TO crawl
under the gate at the city Jail with
the eyes Of the stern guards upon YOU
. Such has been the experience of one
prisoner here, who now wears a ball
and chain on his leg. The next OF
fender Who does not succeed in get
ting out on his attempt. may be tied
10 the rOCkpile with iron chains II
goes hard on the attempted Jail break
er in Topeka, he does not have to
spend years in a solitary cell. but ne
is kept within the Jail yard by heavy
iron.
history was that of Monsieur GirOd. a
IoyaIist. who was confined in the
Chateau de Joux. by the orders of Ma
poleen Gfrod had only an eight foot
stone wall between himself and lib
erty. not board fence with some
wires on top. He kept a pocket knife
in a bar of soap. and carved his way
to liberty after two years. Girod had
three companions in his cell, which was
in the heart of one OF the mountains
In southern France. After filing Their
way out OF the chateau. they had
to climb d hundred foot wall and land
in the STOW at the bottom In their
interesting escape. the royalis+s had
wea Their 10 below zero. and four feet
OF snow to impede their progress After
passing several fortresses. the fuSitiVes
reached the frontiers in safety.
In Topeka, when a desperate criTul-
nal crawls under the gate. he has the
police in every city looking for niIll-
Instead OF marching miles through
terrific snow storm, he rides on fast
moving train and is taken of the cars
at his destination. by the bite coated
denizens Of the law. If the Jail break
er is a nuisance to the city, there Is
no arduous efforts taken to recapture
him and he IS continually kicked
around from one city TO another, until
he develops into the gentleman Of the
frst-class Then his jail delivery
makes his name known through several
states. and Il big reward is offered for
his capture
The Count of Monte Cristo was placed
IN a solitary cell in a French prison.
zoe years ago. on a pretended charge of
disIoyaluy to the Bourbon government
After a few years of carving. he reach
ed the cell of an old able. and the
two worked together for ten years
Finally the aObe died ana Monte Cf1sto
despaired cf ever leaving the place
The abbe was sewed up in a sack.
which gave the other prisoner an idea
He cha nged places with the dead man.
was taken to the sea coast and hurled
into the Sc with 56 pound shot to
= eigh him down. After 2 desperate
struggle with the sea. ne landed on an
island and escaped to the mainland.
However. there is 10 high cliff in To-
peka no big body Of water, only the
Kaw river. At the present stage of
the Kaw. it is doubtful whether any
romantic prisoner at the Jail will es-
cape in that way this year.
The best Jail escape this year was
the escape of Asa Pendersast and d
coIored companion last month. They
spent the night in fling the windows
at the bull pen" and left their quar-
ters shortly after midnight After as
cending the fence. the TWO ran to an
other part OF the city The colored man
took train for a big city, but Pen