Daring jailbreak an exciting Archival Moment

To say that my personal Archives is extensive after much of a lifetime of gathering information on various aspects of British Columbia history is an understatement, believe me.

As a result, almost daily in shuffling files I come upon a ‘nugget’ that I’ve tucked away in hopes of using it in some way, shape or form in the future. As often as not, for various reasons, these stories never again see the light of day, at least with me.

Which prompted this Archival Moment from the Victoria Daily Colonist of January 15, 1896. And proving yet again that there was hardly a dull moment in our history…

Very Daring Escape

A Prisoner at Nelson Locks the Jailer in a Cell and Escapes

Tough Struggle, in Which the Constable Comes Off Second Best–Captured Again

One of the prisoners in the provincial jail at Nelson made a daring escape two days ago, but was recaptured to-day. He was cutting kindling in the morning and called to Constable Miles, who was in charge of the jail, that he had cut his foot with the axe. The constable went to assist him and while bending down to see what the injury was the prisoner caught him by the throat and attempted to strangle him.

Miles struggled desperately with the man who, however, finally overpowered the constable, dragged him into a cell, tied him with a rope and gagged him. The prisoner had only pretended to cut himself for the purpose of making a fight for liberty.

Having bound and gagged his jailer, the prisoner locked him in a cell and then quietly proceeded to the constable’s room in the jail, appropriated a set of clothes and some money and made his escape. Miles had been so roughly handled that he became insensible, but when he recovered he managed to get free of his bonds and with the rope which had bound him succeeded in getting hold of an axe that lay in the corridor outside, chopped open the cell door and gave the alarm.

A number of special constables gave chase to the escaped prisoner and, as already stated, succeeded in capturing him and bringing him back to jail.