The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-06-02 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

ATTEMPT OF THE PRISONER GOULD AND THE CONDEMNED CONVICT BAILEY, TO ESCAPE FROM NEWGATE.  (From the Morning Herald of Saturday.) However extraordinary and incredible it may appear, it is nevertheless certain that the prisoner Gould, who, it will be remembered, was recently tried for the murder of Mr. Ternpleman, in Pocock's-fields, Islington, and who, but a few days since, was again committed from Bow-street policeoffice upon the charge of having burglariously entered the house of that deceased gentleman ; together with the man Bailey, who is ordered for execution on Monday next, for attempted murder on the high seas have made a most desperate attempt (in which they nearly succeeded) to escape from the condemned cells of Newgate. This occurrence took place on the night of Sunday last, but so profound a secret has it been kept by the authorities of the prison, that it was by mere accident our informant happened in the first place to elicit the fact, and with great difficulty succeeded in obtaining the following circumstances connected with it.  On Gould's recommittal to Newgate, and his arrival at the iison, Mr. Cope, the governor, determined on placing him in the most secure portion of the gaol—namely, in one of the condemned cells. Before proceeding further, it is here necessary to state that since the new mode of prison discipline has been introduced, the condemned cells have been removed from their old position, near the debtor's door, to the further extremity of the prison, adjacent to Newgate-street. The inmates of these cells have, in the day time, the privilege of access to a spacious ward on the same floor—the basement, the windows of which, as well as the cells, look into a yard. Prior to Gould's recommittal, the convict Bailey, who had received sentence at the previous sessions, occupied one of these cells, and Gould was placed in the other. It is usual in cases where convicts condemned to death are ordered for execution, that one of the gaolers should keep a constant watch on them to prevent the commission of suicide; but in the case of Bailey, who, by the sentence, stands for execution on Monday next, no special order having been received by the governor, that regulation had not been adopted. In the day-time, and at their meals, Gould and Bailey had opportunities of conversing together, and no doubt exists but the theme of their discourse was the means by which their escape could be effected, their attempt having evidently been preconcerted. On Sunday they attended divine service in the chapel of the prison, and at the usual hour, seven o'clock, that evening, they were locked up in their separate cells by the turnkey who had charge of them, who saw nothing whatever in their appearance to excite suspicion. The moment, however, he quitted the place the operations for the escape must have been commenced on the part of Gould, who, it will be seen, was the originator and principal actor in the affair. During the night of Sunday, which, from the torrents of rain that fell, was peculiarly advantageous for such a project, nothing particular was heard by the turnkeys of the prison. About a quarter before six o'clock on the following morning (Monday), the turnkey in charge of the prisoners, as was usual, went to their respective cells, for the purpose of unlocking them, and on entering the yard, to 'lli utter astonishment, discovered the iron gratings of the windows of their cells removed from their position, and lying on the pavement, and the windows wide open. An alarm was instantly given throughout the gaol, police were called in, and the roof of the various portions of the building strictly searched ; but no trace of the prisoners being there found, it was generally supposed they had effected their escape. Subsequently, on the doors of the cells being opened, both Gould and Bailey were found in one of them, in a completely exhausted condition ; and on their recovery, and being questioned upon the subject, they both treated it with the greatest levity and indifference. They were immediately secured with double irons, and removed to separate cells, when a minute examination of the place and the means by which the escape had been attempted was instituted, in the presence of the sheriffs, who were with the utmost alacrity made acquainted with the fact. They first commenced in the cell occupied by the convict Bailey, but saw nothing to lead them to a conclusion as to whether he effeeted his escape without assistance, except by the cell windows, which had been secured by burs which would defy the power of any person on the inside to remove, and which could only have been so by an extraordinary power from without. On entering Gould's cell a very different scene presented itself. The entire of the iron grating enclosing the cell window was forced out into the yard. By the side of the cell door, which leads to a winding staircase ascending to the roof, a quantity of brick work, to the extent of nine inches in depth, had been removed, apparently by a piece of iron, which was subsequently found in the cell, about five inches in length ; but it was evident that Gould had relinquished this attempt, finding the wall of such uncommon thickness as to resist his further efforts. He then succeeded in removing the gratings of his window, and on getting into the yard, assisted Bailey to do the same. On re-entering the yard a rope was found, which had been constructed out of the rugs and blankets of the prisoners' beds. At one end of this a piece of iron grating was found attached, which, no doubt, had been used with a view to throw one end of the rope on the roof ; but the heavy rain having completely saturated the blankets, it was presumed they had become so heavy as to render the project utterly impracticable. There can be no doubt but Gould's plan had been well matured, as, if he had succeeded in getting' through the wall on the winding staircase, escape would have been most easy, inasmuch as he would have been able to have secured' his rope to a window at the top, and have lowered the end into the yard below. On the roof is placed an officer during the night, and had Gould and his companion succeeded in gaining it, there is not much doubt but his life would have been sacrificed in the hands of two such determined characters. Since this extraordinary event, the gaol has been visited by nearly the whole of the civic authorities, and a private committee is appointed to investigate the matter at Guildhall this day.