Sensational Prison Escapes: From the Oregon State Penitentiary

Excerpt from Sensational Prison Escapes: From the Oregon State Penitentiary There are but few events that arouse public interest to a higher pitch than an escape from the penitentiary. The glaring headlines of the daily press, making the most of sensational news, thrills the reader with a feeling akin to fear, and yet, in many cases arouses a sort of sentimental sympathy for the underdog, and admiration for the man with nerve enough to stake his life for a fling at the fortune wheel of liberty. County jail escapes are frequent enough to cause but little comment outside of the particular community effected, but an escape from the States' stronghold well, that is a different matter, corresponding with the difference between night and day. While it is true that most escapes from all Slate penitentiaries are made by trusties (men who work outside the walls without immediate guards, and simply walk away from the job) yet occasion ally a prisoner with an overgrown bump of ingenuity and daring will carry out a carefully prepared scheme, the result of much study and planning that would do credit to an army general or a Napoleon of finance. And even if captured eventually, as he usually is. he is generally accorded a certain amount of respect by other inmates and officials alike.