CAPTURE OF A LOCOMOTIVE BY FIVE CONVICTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3856, 3 July 1875, Page 3

CAPTURE OF A LOCOMOTIVE BY FIVE CONVICTS.

. Sing Sing prison, at New Ydrk, owing to the heterogenous mass of desperadoes confined within its walls, is frequently conspicuous for deeds of daring, but it fairly expelled itself in that respect on May 28, when five convicts in full daylight, seized a locomotive on the Hudson River Railroad. It appears that a passenger train leaves Sing Sing for New York every morning at four minutes to eight o’clock. A freight train from the North, also destined for the metropolis, arrives at the village about the same time, and always waits for the purpose of giving the passenger train the right of way on the track. As the railroad depot is at. lepst a quarter of a mile from the prison and as it. is generally understood on the part of the company’s employes that all trains should, move at full speed when passing through the prison grounds, it is eustomary on the part of engineers when following each other south from the Sing Sing station to let the first proceed a sufficient distance to warrant the other' in putting on a full head of steam when passing that institution, in order to prevent any of the convicts from jumping on board. This precaution, however, was not taken yesterday. When the passenger train moved away from the depot the engineer of the freight train almost immediately commenced , to follow it slowly down the track, and in this way bad proceeded only a short distance below the north guard post, when the entire aspect of affairs was in a moment changed. Five convicts, who were at work in <ne of the adja-

cent quarries, had suddenly made a “ break” and a dash for the lazily moving train, four of them landing almost simultaneously on the locomotive, while the fifth Jumped behind the tend r, and quickly pulled out the coupling pin, thus detaching the enire train from the engine. Before the fugitives could board the train, however, three rifle balls were directed towards them from the north guard post, but it is not believed that any of the shots took effect. Meantime the engineer and firemen, who, as is their duty, were looking out in front of the locomotive. and while the reports of the discharged pieces were still ringing in their astonished ears, turned round only to see revolvers in the hands of the convicts pointed at their heads. They were ordered to give up the locomotive, and jump off, on pain of instant death. Both men, on looking at the muzzles of the pistols, complied with the demand. The eapture of the locomotive was but the work of a few moments. But cleverly as the convicts’ plan had been executed, Cat sin, the engine-driver, proved too much for them. To his mind the idea suggested itself that, if he could, without detection, turn the pump gauges, of which there were two, he would be able to thwart

the scheme of his captors, as in a little while the engine would be by this means practically disabled. These gauges, when turned, caused water to be pumped from the tank to the boiler of the engine. If more than a proper quantity is thus pumped the temperature of the steam is lowered, and the latter, rapidly condensing, soon ceases to be a motive power. The proper manipulation of the gauges is known only to the initiated, and once turned they would remain so. With this idea uppermost in his mind, Cassin, apparently by accident, fell against the nearest gauge, turning it a little, and setting the pump in motion. He then, complying with the dema. d of the convicts, left the car, followed . by his associate, in alighting, Cassin placed bis hand, in a careless manner, upon the second gauge, turning it to its farthest extent. The convicts never suspected the trick which was played upon them, and their first act, on becoming masters of the situation, was to detach the balance of the train and open the throttle valve of the engine. The entire transaction, from the moment the

convicts boarded the train, did not occupy more than two minutes. The onj/ine, se parated from the forty cars it had been drawing, shot ahead at an alarming speed, fhv. past Scarborough, one mile below i g - in. to the great consternation of an ago 1 statioi - agent at that village, add the occupants of the locomotive were about c® 'a,' aiukti themselves at the success of their coup de mMUt, when the speed of the iron bore o tr. menced to slacken, and ®ontinued to pro->-slower and slower, despite a most cn "geiic tussling with the various valves, u ■ i ! wh*n three miles north of Tarrytown, tT convicts were startled by a loud explosi ■>». T! e unusual pressure in the cylinders, (hacks to the strategem of tho engineer, had fore d open the cast-iron heads of the s.-.nje, the engine came to a standstill. Our files by the Cyphrenes do not tell of the convict’s capture.