him, who was seiz’d also; they were carried before Justice Walters, when the People in Drury-Lane and Clare-Market appeared, and charged them with the Robberies aforemention’d:  But Sheppard pretending to Impeach certain of his Accomplices, the Justice committed them to New-Prison, with intent to have them soon removed to Newgate, unless there came from them some useful Discoveries. Sheppard was now a second time in the hands of Justice, but how long he intended to keep in them, the Reader will soon be able to Judge.

He and his MATE were now in a strong and well guarded Prison, himself loaded with a pair of double Links and Basils[17] of about fourteen pounds weight, and confined together in the safest Appartment call’d Newgate Ward; Sheppard conscious of his Crimes, and knowing the Information he had made to be but a blind Amusement that would avail him nothing; he began to Meditate an Escape.  They had been thus detained for about four Days, and their Friends having the Liberty of seeing them, furnish’d him with Implements proper for his Design, accordingly Mr. Sheppard goes to work, and on the 25th of May being Whit-son Monday at about two of the Clock in the Morning, he had compleated a practicable breach, and sawed of his Fetters; having with unheard of Diligence and Dexterity, cut off an Iron Bar from the Window, and taken out a Muntin, or Bar of the most solid Oak of about nine Inches in thickness, by boring it thro’ in many Places, a work of great Skill and Labour; they had still five and twenty Foot to descend from the Ground; Sheppard fasten’d a Sheet and Blanket to the Bars, and causes Madam to take off her Gown and Petticoat, and sent her out first, and she being more Corpulent than himself, it was with great Pain and Difficulty that he got her through the Interval, and observing his Directions, was instantly down, and more frighted than hurt; the Phylosopher follow’d, and lighted with Ease and Pleasure; But where are they Escap’d to?  Why out of one Prison into another.  The Reader is to understand, that the New Prison and Clerkenwell Bridewell lye Contiguous to one another, and they are got into the Yard of the latter, and have a Wall of twenty-two Foot high to Scale, before their Liberty is perfected; Sheppard far from being unprepared to surmount this Difficulty, has his Gimblets and Peircers ready, and makes a Scaleing-Ladder.  The Keepers and Prisoners of both Places are a sleep in their Beds; he Mounts his Bagage, and in less than ten Minutes carries both her and himself over this wall, and compleats an entire Escape.  Altho’ his Escape from the Condemn’d Hold of Newgate, has made a far greater Noise in the World, than that from this Prison hath.  It has been allow’d by all the Jayl-Keepers in London, that one so Miraculous was never perform’d before in England; the broken Chains and Bars are kept at New Prison to Testifie, and preserve the Memory of this extraordinary Villain.