Friday 03rd July 2015
This is likely one of the strangest stories we've ever written about during the long history of the Gallereo blog - and that's saying quite a bit! If you live in North America, you're probably familiar with the basis of the story, which revolves around two convicts who escaped from a New York state prison in June (both of whom have been "dealt with" by the authorities, by this point). If you live elsewhere, in summary, two convicted killers escaped from a New York state prison using hitherto unsuspected means - in other words, the authorities initially had absolutely no idea how they managed to escape, aside from the tunnels they left inside the prison walls.
What eventually came to light after a number of gruelling weeks for officials in both government and the prison itself was that the inmates escaped with the help of some of the corrections officers themselves. But rather than the presumed tactics of violence, blackmail, or other types of coercion, it turns out that one of the guards involved aided Richard W. Matt, one of the escapees, for a remarkably unlikely reason: Matt's talent as an artist.
Over the course of several months, Matt convinced the guard in question, Gene Palmer, that his intentions were honourable, and Palmer helped to smuggle any number of objects into the prison, from paints and brushes to frozen meat with escape tools embedded deep within. In exchange, Matt gave Palmer a number of his artistic creations, most of which were not released to the media. The only exception is the photo attached to this article, which comes from the New York Times, with all photo credits due to CNYCentral.
Apparently, this isn't the only occurrence of this particular form of bribery, although it seems to be the only case that involved an actual escape. Speaking to the New York Times on condition of anonymity, an official said "“It happens all the time. Pictures are often done by inmates and offered up to staff and I’ve even seen them given to wardens.”
So remember - even if you're not the next Picasso, if you ever find yourself unjustly imprisoned, you may very well be able to utilize your artistic talents to help make good your escape! (Not that we would ever condone breaking the law, of course!). Happy creating!
Posted on July 03rd 2015 on 04:28pm