Son of Joseph and Christina Powell. Previously a resident of Cleveland. Married.
In the summer of 1898, John W. Powell was nearing the end of a seven-year sentence for burglary but faced additional criminal charges with a potential term of life in prison. He may have felt there was little to lose when he and 24 other convicts devised a plan to escape by tunneling under the penitentiary walls. They began digging a hole under the floor of the prison stamp shot, but became concerned their activity would attract guards' attention and decided they were more likely to succeed if only one of them continued.
On the evening of Aug. 2, 1898, Powell casually walked out of the community dining room and disappeared into the night. The warden reported Powell had probably slipped past one of the guards. No one saw him return to the stamp shop.
On September 21, one of Powell's fellow conspirators, a man named Francis Emerson, became impatient with the slow pace of digging and escaped by hiding in a large wooden box fellow inmates had prepared for shipping. He was soon captured and offered to reveal Powell's whereabouts, allegedly out of concern for the man's health.
Prison officials discovered John Powell had been living in the partially dug tunnel under the stamp shop floor since the night he disappeared. Other prisoners had supplied him with food and fresh tools as they could, but were unable to smuggle enough to sustain him, and he gradually weakened from lack of nourishment and needed medical care. When he emerged from the hole, he was described as being reduced to "skin and bones" and was so ill doctors predicted he wouldn't survive long.
John W. Powell passed away in the prison infirmary the next day and was interred in Green Lawn Cemetery on September 23, 1898.
In the summer of 1898, John W. Powell was nearing the end of a seven-year sentence for burglary but faced additional criminal charges with a potential term of life in prison. He may have felt there was little to lose when he and 24 other convicts devised a plan to escape by tunneling under the penitentiary walls. They began digging a hole under the floor of the prison stamp shot, but became concerned their activity would attract guards' attention and decided they were more likely to succeed if only one of them continued.
On the evening of Aug. 2, 1898, Powell casually walked out of the community dining room and disappeared into the night. The warden reported Powell had probably slipped past one of the guards. No one saw him return to the stamp shop.
On September 21, one of Powell's fellow conspirators, a man named Francis Emerson, became impatient with the slow pace of digging and escaped by hiding in a large wooden box fellow inmates had prepared for shipping. He was soon captured and offered to reveal Powell's whereabouts, allegedly out of concern for the man's health.
Prison officials discovered John Powell had been living in the partially dug tunnel under the stamp shop floor since the night he disappeared. Other prisoners had supplied him with food and fresh tools as they could, but were unable to smuggle enough to sustain him, and he gradually weakened from lack of nourishment and needed medical care. When he emerged from the hole, he was described as being reduced to "skin and bones" and was so ill doctors predicted he wouldn't survive long.
John W. Powell passed away in the prison infirmary the next day and was interred in Green Lawn Cemetery on September 23, 1898.
Son of Joseph and Christina Powell. Previously a resident of Cleveland. Married.
In the summer of 1898, John W. Powell was nearing the end of a seven-year sentence for burglary but faced additional criminal charges with a potential term of life in prison. He may have felt there was little to lose when he and 24 other convicts devised a plan to escape by tunneling under the penitentiary walls. They began digging a hole under the floor of the prison stamp shot, but became concerned their activity would attract guards' attention and decided they were more likely to succeed if only one of them continued.
On the evening of Aug. 2, 1898, Powell casually walked out of the community dining room and disappeared into the night. The warden reported Powell had probably slipped past one of the guards. No one saw him return to the stamp shop.
On September 21, one of Powell's fellow conspirators, a man named Francis Emerson, became impatient with the slow pace of digging and escaped by hiding in a large wooden box fellow inmates had prepared for shipping. He was soon captured and offered to reveal Powell's whereabouts, allegedly out of concern for the man's health.
Prison officials discovered John Powell had been living in the partially dug tunnel under the stamp shop floor since the night he disappeared. Other prisoners had supplied him with food and fresh tools as they could, but were unable to smuggle enough to sustain him, and he gradually weakened from lack of nourishment and needed medical care. When he emerged from the hole, he was described as being reduced to "skin and bones" and was so ill doctors predicted he wouldn't survive long.
John W. Powell passed away in the prison infirmary the next day and was interred in Green Lawn Cemetery on September 23, 1898.
In the summer of 1898, John W. Powell was nearing the end of a seven-year sentence for burglary but faced additional criminal charges with a potential term of life in prison. He may have felt there was little to lose when he and 24 other convicts devised a plan to escape by tunneling under the penitentiary walls. They began digging a hole under the floor of the prison stamp shot, but became concerned their activity would attract guards' attention and decided they were more likely to succeed if only one of them continued.
On the evening of Aug. 2, 1898, Powell casually walked out of the community dining room and disappeared into the night. The warden reported Powell had probably slipped past one of the guards. No one saw him return to the stamp shop.
On September 21, one of Powell's fellow conspirators, a man named Francis Emerson, became impatient with the slow pace of digging and escaped by hiding in a large wooden box fellow inmates had prepared for shipping. He was soon captured and offered to reveal Powell's whereabouts, allegedly out of concern for the man's health.
Prison officials discovered John Powell had been living in the partially dug tunnel under the stamp shop floor since the night he disappeared. Other prisoners had supplied him with food and fresh tools as they could, but were unable to smuggle enough to sustain him, and he gradually weakened from lack of nourishment and needed medical care. When he emerged from the hole, he was described as being reduced to "skin and bones" and was so ill doctors predicted he wouldn't survive long.
John W. Powell passed away in the prison infirmary the next day and was interred in Green Lawn Cemetery on September 23, 1898.
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