The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-08-21
ESCAPE JAIL ON
UNIQUE LADDER
Murderer and Thief Flee From
Phi!a. .litentIary.
THEY SCALE 36-fOOT WALL
Ccnvicts Put Wooden Hook on Cell
LccI and CcdJe eight Dogs in the
Prison Ylr6.


Pa;!ad:.lpi,:a "a, Aug. 21.-By means Oh
q false hSo.. un their cell door ana
ladder which was marvel OF lnge-
II :.ty. Homer ClevtHn Virgins, the
SLAYER VI a policeman, and ChafleS
TAYLOR, a thief, escaped from the east
EN- peniten, larry al fwenty-nrst street
and Paramount avenue.
Both men We're TRUSTEES, and, nad
employment in The Woodworking snop
at Tie prison. With the tools they thus
had access to they conlrived to make
a hook and a ladder. This they did
in their cells. Many OF the prisoners
while in their cells, execute work that
thay sell, so Virgins and Taylor es-
capped suspicion.
Virgins, who is eighteen years old,
| was serving a sentence OF from nine
teen to twenty years. Taylor, VINO is
| thirty-nine years old, had served one
| wear of a five to seven year sentence.
| Robert McKenty, the warden OF the
prison, says their recapture is certain
though no clue to their whereabouts
has yet been obtained.
The ladder was constructed OF pop
lar and was joined together with
screws, though these ran out toward
the last. The convicts then mace
notches in the single pole OF the lad
der and into these notches fitted the
rungs, seemingly frail, but wonderfully
strong.
A hook for the ladder was needed,
SO it could be fastened securely to a
| window sill when the escape took
place. So the conyicts made cu1i'
ming substitute, of wood, for the lion
/ hook on the cell door. They painted 1t
black. The iron hook finally was
placed on the ladder and the wooden
hook on the door. Plans for tie flight
were now completed
The great prison was wrapped IN
silence and shadows when the plotters
softly opened their cell door. no iron
hook being there to pfecept, and tnen
peered out into the long, gloomy cor
ridor. There was no one in sight,
There were four guards at various
stations on the upper tier, but not one
say or heard the escaping convicts as
they stole like phantoms to the store
room and through f. small window &c
the roof.
Working swiftly and quietly. they
assembled" the ladder and made one
end fast by the book. Then down they
slid to the prison yard. where lurked
eight vicious dogs.
But Taylor. with his mind on the fa
ture, had furtively cultivated these
dogs while on duty in the engine
room. At that time he had the privi
! lege of going into the prison yard Al
intsryals during the night. and 1t Is
supposed th&t the dogs grew to know
and disregard him.
/ In any event, not one OF these Pie
creatures made sound as the fugt
| lives, carrying the ladder, crept the
few yards across the yard to the
i sheer wall on Twenty,second street, q
| gall which shot up thirty-six feet
above thetf heads. Quietly the ladder
was placed against it, and like cats
the men ascended.
Eight minutes after the fugitiyes
had quilted their cell, their stockinged
| Ieet paQQeu SOltIy uoWu On LUG gii|A
pavement OF Twentysecond street
| Tbs slayer and the thief were free
and few minutes later they had van
ished, swallowed Up by the night.
! Shortly after ward II prison watch
man pulled the box, as record OF
one Of his frequent rounds. A second
later he say the ladder. Instantly ne
discharged his revolver. attracting the
| attention of the armed suara in the
tower, who sounded the alarm Oh q
I changing bell
The firing of the revolver and the
ringing of tie bell had aroused most
Of the 1900 prisoners. They began to
scream and shout. Who are theyP'
the conylcis shrielked. How many got
away?" In some u the pl}son blocks
word was passed by Telegraph" tap
ping of the water pipes that the prison
was on fire In these sections the din
was deafening. An hour passed before
The clamor had subsidized.