The saw which he used in cutting the door of the prison, is supposed to have been one which he stole on board the steamboat Fulton, on his passage from New York to New Haven, and so artfully did he conceal the saw, though repeatedly searched both before and after his confinement, at the suggestion of Capt. Bunker, that he retained it about his person until by its means he effected his escape.
About the time that Newman made his elopement, Mr. Butler happened to be in New York, and on his return by land, he met Newman travelling leisurely along, a few miles distant from the city. Mr. Butler readily recognized him, and immediately instituted a pursuit, but he baffled his attempt to apprehend him and made his retreat into the woods. Upon this Mr. Butler engaged a party of men, with dogs and fire-arms to ferret him out if possible, but he had vigilance and art sufficient to elude their efforts to take him.
The next morning after the chase, he made his appearance at a certain house, where he found the table placed for the family breakfast, and without invitation or ceremony, sat down at the table and began to eat. While he was eating he observed to the family, that he would not let them take him yesterday—referring to his pursuers. “Was it you they were after?” enquired some of the family. “Yes, but I would not let them find me.” “How came you from New Haven?” was next enquired. “I staid a great while,” he replied, “but they did not find anything against me, only that a young woman pretended to say that I had an ear-ring of hers which belonged to my wife, which was not worth waiting for, and so I came away.”
Here, however, he was apprehended, and sent again to Bridewell; but when he came there, he denied being the man, and had so altered his appearance and dress, that no one knew him, until Mr. Allen, the keeper of the prison at New Haven, came and recognized him. He took him in charge at the Bridewell and returned with him to New Haven in the steamboat. On his arrival at the county house, the sheriff had him closely searched, to see that he had no saws, or any other instruments by which he might effect another escape. After the search, he was confined in the criminal’s room, handcuffed, with a shackle about one of his legs, to which was attached a long iron chain firmly stapled to the floor, and in company with two negro boys who were confined for stealing.
In this situation he was left in the evening; and the next morning, when the keeper came to the door of his prison, he found him walking the room smoking his pipe, with the chain on his shoulder, and the handcuffs in his hand, which he presented to the keeper, saying, “you may take these, they may be of use to you, for they are of no use to me.” The keeper, on attempting to open the door, found that he had not only drawn the staple, but had raised the floor also, which was of strong plank firmly fastened to the sleepers with spikes. The heads of some of the spikes were drawn through the planks which he had taken up, and with which he had so barricaded the door that the keeper attempted in vain to enter. Upon this, he called upon the sheriff, who came and ordered the prisoner to open the door, to which he replied from within, “My house is my castle, and none shall enter alive without my leave.” The sheriff then ordered the two colored boys (who stood trembling with fear) to come and remove the fastening from the door, but the prisoner told them that death would be their portion if they attempted it.
The sheriff finding him determined not to open the door, and having attempted in vain to get in by other means, sent for a mason, and ordered him to break an opening through the brick partition which divided the lower room. When the mason commenced operations on the wall, Newman said to the sheriff, “It is no use to make a hole through the wall, for I could kill every vagabond as fast as they put their heads in, but if the sheriff will bring no one in but gentlemen, I will open the door for him.”
The door was then opened, and the sheriff went in and secured him; and soon after, more strongly, with additional irons and chains. Finding himself now overpowered, and another escape rather hopeless, he had recourse to his old scheme of yelling and screaming like anything but the human voice, and seemingly in every part of the house. This he kept up all night, until the whole town was literally alarmed. A special court was therefore immediately called, and in a few days he was brought to his trial.
The trial was brought on as a case of burglary, the prisoner having entered a chamber of Mr. Butler’s, and stole an ear-ring belonging to a young lady then lodging at the house. Newman obtained counsel to plead his case; but not being satisfied with the manner in which the trial was conducted, he pleaded his own case, in which he maintained that the ear-ring did not belong to the lady, but to his own wife; that very like was not the same, and that the evidence before the court did not establish the charge. He was found guilty, however, and sentenced to three years confinement in the Newgate, Simsbury Mines, which was considered rather a stretch of power, on account of his infamous and notorious character. He was consequently sent off next day to the place of his future confinement and labor, ironed and chained, and in a wagon under a strong guard.
