Year: 1876

ESCAPE OF FOUR NEGRO PRISONERS FROM
THE HENRICo COUNTY JAIL.-At midnight
on Monday night four negro prisoners,
named Royal Jackson, in jail six months
for petit larceny; Daniel Harris, sentenced
to the penitentiary five years for felonious
stabbing; Alec Ryland, confined for failing
to pay fine and Absalom Woodson, SEN
fenced to Jail six months for unlawful cut
ting, succeeded in making their escape, and
at last accounts were still at large. From
the account given by the iailer they had q
very easy time OF it and but little trouble in
getting out.


The negro Hillary Page, who is awaiting
the death-sentence, made an attempt to get
out about O'Clock the same night and his
failure led to the success OF the Others.
After Page had been put back IN his cell the
iailer came out Of the Jail into the court
yard-an alley-way, rs it were, eight or ten
feet wide, which is surrounded by the main
brick wall-and walked around the Jail to
see whether any OF the prisoners were IN
this courtyard. AS he came out OF the door
he pulled it to, but did not lock it, rs the
iron gate leading out of the yard was locked.
Having ascertained that no prisoners were
in the courtyard, he went out OF the enclo-
sure. The main door being closed, he sup
posed he had locked it, and the whole thing
passed out or his mind.


Prior to Saturday last the negroes who
escaped went into one of the unoccupied cells
and pulled up 4 plank from the floor, de-
termining to use it in scaling the walls when
the first chance presented itself. The plank
was kept in its place, however, so that the
taller could not see what had been done. On
Saturday evening last they all went out in
the courtyard and carried the plank with
them to the west side of the Jail; put one
end on the high wall and the other rested
on the sill OF a cell window. One OF them,
Page says, went up, and all would have
gone out then, but so many people were
passing along the street that they concluded
to await more favorable hour.


Monday night.when the negroes found the
inside door unlocked, they took the plank
around, putt upon the wall as described, and
quietly and very easily escaped over upon
the roof Of the adjoining tobacco factory.
Some OF the prisoners below heard them
and gave the alarm; but it was too late,
although the iailer ran out in the street and
gave the alarm to the police.


It should be stated that the reason the
prisoners were not all in their cells is that
during the very hot weather they have been
permitted to remain inside the jail building
with the privilege Of going in and out OF
the cells; but they were not alloWeu Ill Inc
yard except during the day.


It was agreed on Saturday evening when
Page went down to get his bucket OF water
that he should slip around in the courtyard,
and on the other side OF the Jail he'd find
the plank all ready. This proposition was
made first by Royal Jackson and then by
Absalom Woodson, and would have been
carried out but for the determined resist
ance and coolness Of the iailer.


The cell from which the plank was taken
was Immediately under the one once occu-
pied by Jeter Phillips, and the end OF the
blank was placed in the window from which
that noted criminal the evening before his
execution looked for the last time upon the
setting sun.


While at the Jail yesterday the writer
went into the cell now occupied by Hillary
Page. He was lying upon his cot in the
corner, and looked as though all hope OF life
had gone. In answer to the question,
Chow do you feel?" Hillary said with a
little hesitation in his voice, "I feel right
bad, SIR At the head OF his bed he had
palm-leaf fan, and close to his pillow lay a
Bible, in the middle of which small guam
tity Of writirg-paper had been placed. He
occupies the cell Immediately adjoining the
one in which Jeter Phillips was confined.