Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-03-06
UNGRAlEfUL PRISONER
BIDS JAIL ADIEU

/ BIDS JAIL ADIEl
| William Miller mulatto, 5 feet
| inches tall, weighing aboutI40 pounds
with an upper gold tooth and acripplee
| left wrist, is wanted at the Shenan
| doah County Jail. So badly is ne
wanted and so anxious is Sheriff b
| NJ. Borden to have him back that fifty
dollars reward is offered for infor'
nation which will lead to his return.
| Miller,whose antecedents are as hazy
as his present whereabouts, came to
the Woodstock Jail from the Culpeper
bastile, where he was awaiting
sentence of five year in the penitentary
imposed by jury for a robbery in
that County, During his incarceration
it was found that he was connected
with the robbery of the Floyd Grove
store in Strasburg and Sheriff Borden
brought him to the Woodstock Jail to
stand trial, with the expectation that
an additional sentence would be given
him in the local Courts.
A short time after Miller's change in
barred boarding houses he developed
pleurisy and his condition became
such that he was ordered to the Win
chester hospital by the Jail physician.
Here the pleura was punctured and a
considerable amount of pus and water
was taken from the region of the
lungs. A week later he was brought
back to Woodstock and domiciled in a
boarding house where combination
guards and nurses looked after his
comfort until the physician thought it
safe TO return him TO the Jail.
Considerate of his convalescence,
Sheriff Borden allowed him the liberty
of the corridor which surrounds the
inner cells of steel and Miller bided
his time to bid adieu to his keeper
At the January term of Court, because
of his physical condition, he was not
placed on trial. In fact he suggested
that he would accelerate justice by
pleading guilty before Court adjourned.
From subsequent events it would
appear as if this avowed intention was
crafty subterfuge to delay action in
his case until the psychological time
for escape arrived, for after the jury
was discharged for the January term
Miller changed his mind about a plea
of guilty in order that the trial would
90 over to the March term of Circuit
Court In the meantime his physical
condition, after Shenandoah County
had expended about S275 inremodeling|
and renovating his interior, had i'm
proved, and he was ready for the trip.
In some manner unknown saw
came into Miller's possession, his con-
federates were apprised of the near
approach of Court and that now was
the time for action. Thursday evening
two fur coated colored men drove al
sport model Buick to Woodstock, |
parked it within half square of the Jail, |
and waited developments. Sometime
after midnight the same car headed
North and Miller, the mulatto. was a
happy passenger therein.
The delivery was discovered early |
Saturday morning by the Sheriff when
4 bent and twisted two inch iron bar
in one of the Jail windows told the
story of why Miller would not be with |
his fellow prisoners for breakfast. The
opening was only about 10 x IL inches
and it required considerable squeeze
for the escaping convict to get through
it. The three remaining prisoners in
jail made no effort to follow the dusky |
deserter, if they had the chance, and
all three are mnte as TO information
which would give clue as to the time
of the escape. They stoutly maintain |
that was nothing unusual in noise or
to their knowledge, during
the night 1t is certain, thought, that
Miller had help for it would have been
a ply sicial impossibility for him to have
bent the big bar indicated.
Every effort is being put forth for
Miller's recapture and police officers
the County are being
with description of the |
fugitive and an offer of reward for |
his apprehension.
Culpeper County has lost prisoner
over whom hangs five year sentence,
Shenandoah County is minus an out
law who would doubtless have rel
ceived a further sentence of some
years, the Board Of Supervisors is out
s275 for hospital and medical bills and
Miller is out somewhere injoying his
sc 8.