A FRENCH JACK SHEPPARD.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2008, 1 October 1906, Page 2

A FRENCH JACK SHEPPARD.

Extraordinary ingenuity was shown by a burglar named Vandenwegaetr, who escaped on Monday night, January 2Ti, 1904, from the underground condemned cell in Lille Gaol, Paris, where he had been specially confined, on account of his notorious cunning, and his open boast that" he would find a way out before long. The cell was furnished with a single massive door opening on to a corridor, at the end of which was another door provided with a "safety lock." On the Monday evening the prisoner was locked up for the night, and on Tuesday morning his cell was found to be empty. The bird had flown, and two false keys made of tin found outside the door of the corridor told their own tale. A search in the cell enabled the prison officials to piece together their story of this daring deed With part of the bread supplied to him, Vandenwegaetc took the impression of the lock of his cell, and with some more bread he made a mould, in which he cast a key cut out of a tin cup, the metal being melted in his stove. The same night he opened his door, took a breadcrumb impression of the corridor lock, made another key, and soon found himself outside the corridor. From a cupboard he extracted a sheet and a broom-handle, and made his way into the prison yard, which is surrounded by a wall topped with broken Fixing the broomhandle between two bottle ends, he threw the knotted sheet over the wall, and slid clown it into the street His next move was to break into a house, and exchange his prison costume for ordinary attire, and he was not heard of again. Ten years was the term he was to serve, but he did not stay in his prison ten hours.

Great Britain has the largest proportion of the world's golf clubs (879), the United States coming second. About £10,000,000 is spent annually on the pursuit.

The skeleton of the famous steeplechaser. Manifesto has been given by Mr. .1. O. Bulteel to the veterinary department of the Liverpool University, where it will be net Up btviidQ thjftt of Aiubaafa U„ (L&l4j