Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-20

ing to the same plan. thought it piece of
madness to think of drawing the spikes, and
made observation to that amount. Phillips paid
no attention to what remarked, but pursued
his plan and when we all jumped on to the
bench, to pry up the iron bar, the heads of the
spikes flew off in moment; the bar was torn
from its place, and the whole Jail trembled.
| now considered my escape as certain,
having nothing but the frozen ground to break
through, which I expected to effect in the
course of an hour. Therefore, when night pro-
gressed so far in her course as to carry people
generally to their beds, we all stripped and
went down into the vault, with as much silence
as possible, that we might keep Rood and
Kinds insgnoranceof in our operatoaS'r but tliiisS
we found impossible. We soon heard them
take off the cover from their pump, and listen
to the noise in the vault. However, as we soon
expected to make our escape, we did not SO
much dread their hearing us at work, not ex-
pecting they could give any information to the
'jailer till next morning, when we should be far
from his restraining power.
I'VE were vigorous in our operations, till we
had brokecn the frozen ground, 50 as to discern
the snow | communicated this circumstance to
Warner, who was near me, and mprudenty,
inthe warmth OF his feelings, told one near him,
that in ten minutes we should be at liberty.
This he spoke so loud as to be heard by Rood
and Kinds.
They hearing this, Immediately called to
the jailer, and informed him that we were
breaking out. The alarm flew rapidly people
gathered Into the !ail-yard with lanterns, and
discovered the hole, which was almost large
enough for man to pass through, while 9th
ers entered the jail, and turned us all into the
dungeon.
All these attempts at escape proved fruitlass
and word was brought to the prisoners, on the
first of January, that they were to be removed
to Castle-Island, in Boston Harbor, there to be
confined at Hard Labor They were soon
taken away:
Early one morning, number of deputy
sherifs came into the Jail, and babe us pre-
pare for our journey to the Castle. They
chained the prisoners two together, placing the
chain about one leg of each, then put them ir
a sleigh, and drove off
when came to breathe pure air, and tc
contrast the prospect of surrounding objects
with the gloomy mansions which | had left, yor
cannot conceive the ardor of my feelings fol
liberty. Every object which my eyes behelt
was loud proclaimer Of my miserable state,
"Oh said | to myself, could run abou
like yonder little boy, who regardless of his
privilege, loses its enjoyment, then should
feel like the lark, that, escaped from its cage
fits into the air, and claps its wings for JOY
wondered people should feel so Indifferent about
my situation. equally wondered at their moi
skipping with joy, because they were at liberty
themselves. thought if they had known thu
feelings of my heart, they would have arisen tt
a man, and granted me that liberty which my
heart 50 ardently painted after. 1t appeared tt
me sometimes, that the sensations of my mint
must be apparent to them, and that under thi
circumstance, they would actually grant me re
lief. Yet, in the bitterness of my soul, l fount
these ideas all chimercal'
As the felon-company travelled through tn
country, they attracted great curIosity-es
pecially Burroughs, whose fame had gone ou
before him. he says, into all the surrounding
region. At length, however, after many scenes
which were newer and more impressive to pris
oners, just temporarily liberated from lonI
confinement in loathsome jail, than the
would be to our readers, they arrived at Castle
Island, by the way of Boston, where, Burrough
=. says, they gave them derisive cheers onwar
to their new prison-house-the Blackwell
Island of that neighborhood.
When Burroughs first came upon the Island
-, there were but sixteen prisoners, the most c
whom were kept at work in the blacksmith
j, shop
. Their fare, judging from prson-fare a
-, Boston, (Charestown,) Sing-Sing, and Auburr
was not scant one pound of good, wei
baked bread, of good, fresh, wholesome fou1
" and three-fourths of pound of good, substaf
y tiai meat. being the ration for the day. :
d.. Perhaps the most substantial meat woul
have been an outside cut from Mississippi
:. Alligator, or rump-steak from Rhinoceros
e But of the fare there was little complaint
They had no Northampton experience of hui
h ger; they desired liberty. After being immurc
Il in the CASTLE they endeavored to obtain it
n any reader, placing himself in the prisoner
v place for the time being, will fail to be III
:, pressed with the naturalncss and force of IL
II narrative:
d Immediately after my confinement on IL
island began to look about to see whether
n possibility of escaping remained. viewed tt
h building in which was confined. 1t was MAJ
:. of bricks, the walls of which were five fe
% thick, laid in cement, which was much hard
co than the bricks themselves.
D. Il searched every corner for a spot up,
which | could work, without detection, O
in room being searched every day, to see wheth
ID the prisoners had made an attempt to bre
,e away At length l hit upon place. The
er was chimney at one end of our room, graf
in in a very strong manner, about twelve ft
80 above its funnel, which was sufficiently lar
I'd for man to go up. About three feet abo
er the mantel-piece of this Fireplace, conclud
to begin my operation. Here | could wor
it and not have my labors discovered, unless We
ur critical search was made up the chimney. h
ly not been at work long, before | had made a |
by ginning of hole sufficiently large to era
through then took a board, and blacking
ed like the chimney back, made it of the pror