CARLISLE PATRIOT, JULY 29, 1843.

THE CONVICT DOOGAN.

No doubt now remains that this daring boy was the  person who committed the
robbery at the residence of Mrs. HEWETSON, Crosby Hall,  Crosby
Ravensworth. We understand that he was identified, when amongst a number  of other boys
in the gaol, as having begged at the house twice in the day  previous to
the night on which the robbery is supposed to have taken place; and  the notes
which DOOGAN is known to have changed corresponded with those that  were
stolen. We believe it is intended to arraign DOOGAN at the ensuing assizes  
for prison breach, when he will, in all probability, be transported for  life.

***

Another chap about whom I transcribed a couple of articles from The Times before!

The Times, Monday, Jul 10, 1843; pg. 5; Issue 18344; col D

ESCAPE FROM CARLISLE GAOL. - DARING FEAT. - A youth of the name of Lawrence DOOGAN, about 16 years of age, who at the Quarter Sessions last week was found guilty of stealing some silver spoons from a dwelling-house in Maryport, and sentenced to be transported for seven years, made his escape from our county gaol in the course of Tuesday night last. The prisoner, who had been unwell, was confined in the hospital ward, along with a soldier, who had been apprehended for desertion. He was seen in the hospital by the turnkey previous to locking up at 8 o'clock. At 6 o'clock next morning the bird had fled. His mode of escape soon became apparent. The ward is on the ground floor. Above the door is a fan-light - a pane of glass 6½ inches broad by 14 inches in height. This pane he had picked out entire, and through the opening contrived to squeeze his body - in all probability assisted by the soldier, who, however, denies the fact. Very near to this door is a leaden spout, fastened close to the smooth stone-wall, for carrying off the rain water from the roof, about 6 inches in diameter, and 25 feet in height. Up to this spout he had contrived to climb. At the top of it is a chamber or receiver for the water, about 12 inches square, and into this his must have got both his hands and feet, before he could make his next movement! He had now to raise himself up to get hold of the parapet, nearly five feet from the top of the spout on which he had obtained his fearful footing. In springing upwards, the spout partly gave way, one of the two nails by which the head was fastened to the wall having been torn out - at the moment when the slightest slip must have dashed him to the ground from his giddy height. However, he escaped the danger, and made his footing good, exactly on the spot where executions take place. Passing along the leads he reached the Court-house, the roof of which he crossed, and dropping a height of about ten feet upon the leads of a wing of the court, was right in front of the shrubbery at the south-end of the building - but still at a height of at least 20 feet from the ground. To this he appears to have paid little regard; for a few feet from the base of the wall are to be seen the deep impressions of his feet where he had alighted from his daring leap. On the alarm of escape being given, Mr. ORRIDGE, the Governor of the prison, lost no time in making search for the fugitive - offering 20L. reward for his apprehension, but hitherto without the slightest effect. No blame whatever can be attached to any of the officers of the prison, for unless a watchman were placed over each prisoner, no degree of vigilance could guard against such an escape. So desperate and daring a feat we have rarely heard of. - Carlisle Journal.

The Times, Friday, Jul 21, 1843; pg. 5; Issue 18354; col E

ESCAPE AND RECAPTURE OF A PRISONER. - On the night of Tuesday, the 2d instant, Lawrence DOOGAN, aged 16 years, who was under sentence of transportation for 7 years, for stealing some silver spoons and other articles at Maryport, made his escape from Carlisle gaol in a most miraculous manner, and was, on the 18th instant, retaken at a place between Lancaster and Preston. It appears that DOOGAN, after he had effected his escape from the precincts of the prison, and had arrived southwards, when a short way out of Carlisle had left the main road and gone westward towards Broadfield, in the parish of Hesket-in-the-Forest, where he was first heard of, and on Wednesday was seen at Skelton. On the same day he was begging at Mr. HENDERSON's at Grassnop, in his prison dress. In the night he had directed his course towards Penrith, for on Friday or Saturday week his prison jacket was found in a field near that town. It was supposed that he had been begging at Dalemaine, the seat of Mr. E. W. HASELL, the chairman of the Cumberland quarter sessions, who, a few days before, had passed sentence of transportation on him. On the same day he was met on the road leading from Dalemain to Pooley-bridge, and complained that he had a violent pain in his legs, and seemed quite unhappy, being at the same time barefooted. The constables at Penrith having obtained this information, two of them, supposing that he would in the night sleep in a field house under the brow of Dunmallard, a large planted hill at the foot of Ullswater, as they had been informed that he had been seen in that locality, on Sunday night week repaired to that place, where they watched all the night, without success in finding DOOGAN. He was next heard of in the village of Morland, in the county of Westmoreland, to which place an officer from Carlisle was despatched, but did not find him. Since Monday morning week officers and others have been out in all directions, but DOOGAN was not heard of till Friday week, when he was seen in the vicinity of Hogdale and Rosegill, near Shap; he had gone southwards by Kendal or its neighbourhood, and escaped the vigilance of the most strict search till Monday evening or Tuesday morning last, when he was taken at the aforesaid place. On Tuesday evening last, DOOGAN passed through Penrith on the coach, heavily ironed, in the custody of a police officer, on the way to Carlisle gaol, where they arrived that night. The officer who apprehended him will receive a reward of 20L. DOOGAN's escape was most daring, indeed almost miraculous. The visiting magistrates of the prison have exonerated Mr. ORRIDGE, the gaoler, and his assistants from all blame of negligence.

I wonder what became of him? He was not mentioned in the reporting of the Carlisle Summer Assizes in The Times that year.

Petra

Thank you, George, very interesting - there were more details in those articles than in The Times!

Petra