Can a file really get you out of jail?
| The idea of someone escaping prison using a file baked in a cake is a common joke. Jokes quite often have a real basis, so where did this one come from? | |
| The story originates from a scene aboard a prison ship, which was recorded in 1804. |
 | Several thieves aboard a ship carrying prisoners from England to America managed to get hold of files and saws that they intended to hide in gingerbread. They planned to use them to break their chains and escape. |
 | Their plan was thwarted by another convicted felon named William Blewitt, who alerted the warders to their plan! |
 | As a reward for the fact that he did a noble deed and hooked his friends on him, Blewitt was pardoned! So while there is no recorded instance of a file in a cake ever directly bailing someone out of jail, Blewitt could claim to have indirectly used it to achieve his freedom! |
 | What did he do with this newfound freedom? He was immediately caught for another crime and jailed again! |
Posted
in
