Glasgow Courier. — 1853-06-02 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE FROM PRISON.  On the morning of Friday last a feat in the way of prison breaking took place here which, we believe, to be almost unparalleled. Between 11 and 12 o'clock on the previous night a young Irish lad, named Francis Casey, was brought to the Police-office charged with having attempted to pass a counterfeit shilling in the shop of Mr. Dunlop, spirit-dealer, High Street. Until the statements of the witnesses were jotted down Casey was confined in the waiting room, and afterwards he was transferred to one of the cells on the third floor of the building, which are set apart for the temporary confinement of persons detained on criminal charges. In fact his cell was next to, and of an exactly similar description with that which was sometime occupied by the notorious murderer Dennis Doolan. About 2 o'clock the following morning, while the lieutenant on duty was engaged in his ordinary business, he was almost stopified with amazement by observing the identical Casey brought into the office by two watchmen, not on the charge , of making his escape (for no one, either in the building or out of it, knew that the prison had been broken), but on the accusation of flitting about the street in a suspicious manner, without either hat, coat, or vest. 'Blessed Antony,' said Lieut. O'Neill, ' where did you come from? Are ye not Casey? Did I not lock you up in a cell two hours ago?' ' Yes, said the other, with an excited and bewildered gesture, 'lt is Casey. I was &feared I was to be hung in the morning, and, by the grace of God, I got out or ye's three-storey cell in spites on ye. Yes, I dune it.' The cell was forthwith examined, and sure enough Casey's words were found to be true. A large iron plate had been wrenched off a small slip or loop--hole by an act of almost superhuman strength, by taking advantage of some point at which the heavy screw-nails must have been loosened, and thereby have afforded an opening for the insertion of the fingers or hand. This effected, there remained a slip or opening through which it would be difficult to pass an infant, but Casey, using the iron plate as a battering ram, knocked off the stone rybits of facings of the loophole, until he had made an opening 94 inches in width According to his own account, he then squeezed his head and shoulders with great difficulty through the opening, and by the grey dawn of the morning looked down upon the lane which bounds the western aide of the police buildings from a height of three stories. In whatever way he escaped, it is the wonder of all that he reached the pavement without being dashed to pieces. The next appearance of Casey was , at the top of Balmanno Street, where, according to the statement of the watchman, he was observed flitting about like an apparation in a half-naked condition. Being of partially unsound mind—although this was not known to the officers at the moment —the poor creature seems to have taken into his head that he was immediately to be hanged for his offence, and this terror prompted him to effect an escape in the face of dangers and difficulties, which it is scarcel7 conceivable that any sane man would have attempted. 'I he Police Committee have given orders to place iron bars on the outside of these cell windows; and it is not likely, therefore, that Casey's escape will ever be repeated by any human being.  Tlfe appeal to the instioes is an ateeedingly hap-hazard affair. The court may be composed of live or fifty, just as gentlemen f eel d isposed to attend. Sometimes we have Been one set of Justices begin the day's proceedings and give their decisions according to a certain role; these get exhausted and retire, when their places are taken -by another party of gentlemen, who not unfrequently give their decisions upon an opposite principle. By the way, we observe that the maintrntes rarely vote at these appeal courts. Surely this.is carrying mode., ation too far. In coming to so:ft:pawn, in their capacity of magistrates, either to refuse or to ;rant a license, everybody knows that they do so in the most s::.`nsciencious manner; and surely they would only be doing the:: duty by supporting their own decision; when they ar• under appal, especially an it is to be presumed that they are better acquainted with the points of the various cases than the Justices.