The Men Who Escaped From Jail To Hire A Lawyer And Then Broke Back Into Their Cell To Await Trial
More than a century ago, two Pennsylvania prisoners were so convinced they were being railroaded that they took unusual steps to get the legal representation they wanted
Even in today’s advanced age, prisoners still occasionally find ways to break out of prisons, making for sensational headlines along the way. It’s actually become romanticized to an extent, with stories like those from Alcatraz or movies like The Shawkshank Redemption captivating the public for years. It’s certainly not unusual for people to escape but following that up by breaking back into incarceration is definitely beyond the norm. However, that’s exactly what happened more than a century ago.
In 1911 in Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, John Prolesky and Joseph Widemsky were arrested on the night of July 4th, along with three women, for disorderly conduct, and placed in jail at Warrior Run, pending trial. It was alleged that while at a friend’s house, they made so much noise that police had to intervene and make arrests.
Obviously not wanting to do hard time, they anguished over what they could do to mitigate the tough situation they were in. They…
