The People v. Nastasio

The defendant was indicted, tried before a jury and convicted of the felony of attempting to escape jail while he was an inmate therein waiting to be tried for the crime of taking indecent liberties with a minor.

On April 28, 1961, a hole approximately 24" by 30" was discovered in the prisoner section of the Sangamon County jail. The evidence indicated that this hole had been chiseled through three of the four layers of the outer brick wall of one of the upper cell blocks by certain of the prisoners, including the defendant, over a period of several days. The work was accomplished behind a…