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

seven in number. These prisoners were all
turned out to work about sunrise, when the
doors of the prison were again shut, and not
opened again until twelve o'clock, when the
prisoners came from work, and continued half
an hour: they were then taken back again
to work, and there remained until sunset
Therefore, / had as much as sixteer, hours in
the twenty-four, in which | could work upon
this brick wall, which work continued with
the most unremitting attention.
'Iheabor was incredible could in the
first place work only with a largc'nail-rub-
bing awuy the bricks gradually, ny daring to
make. the least noise. les the ts.sies, who
" g LganJ fsSil Ed ssJil, Il
work, and thereby become discgProd. One
night rubbed the bricks SO hard as to be over
heard by the sentry standing on the other side
of the wall. The alarm was Immediately given
and the guard and officers rushed into the
room to detect us in our operations. Fortu-
nately overheard the sentry tell The sergeant
of the guard, that Burroughs wac playing the
devil in the Jail. The sergeant ran to inform the
officers, and had but just time to put my
board in it's place, and set down to greasing my
shoes, when the officers entered, and with
great degree of sternness inquired, where had
been at work ? | told them that had been
rubbing some hard SCOT off the chimney, and
grinding it fine, to mix with the grease, and
put on to my shoes. They laughed at my nice
ty about my Shoes that Ishould wish for slick,
shining shoes, in this situation.
Major Perkins, commandant-iuyshief, know
ing my inattentiveness to dress, could not SO
readily believe that backing my shoes was the
only object in view; he therefore made Il very
strict search for some other matter which should
account for the noise the sentry had heard !;
but, after IA fruitless pursuit of such an OBJ
ject, they gave over their search; concluding
that one among the thousand strange whims
which marked my character, had prompted me
to set about blacking my shoes at that time.
After they were gone, | f3lta strong DISPOSE
ton to laugh at them for the deception under
which they were laboring, as they did, while
present, to laugh at me, for the whim Of greas-
ing and backing my shoes.
This temporary check was of the utmost
Importance in my further prosecution of this
business. 1t made me more careful for the fil-
ture, not to pursue my labors with too much
impatient impetuosty, failing ever was sub
ject to.
The prisoners in the room y sgs I. perry on the
occasion of my turning the suspl1m Of the Of
fcers so entirely from the real object to another
very foreign from it. They thought it a mani
festation of ability, In fine, Il had such an asccn
dency over the prisoners, that they implicitly
gave up to my opinion in all oar little matters
and more particularly when any contentious
arose among them, generally succeeded in ami
cably terminating the difficulty without theil
coming to blows.
Il determined to be more careful in prosecut
ing my labor on the wall, for the future, ant
check that impatience which often hurried nj
on beyond the dictates of prudence. nov
wrought with the greatest caution, and mad,
slow but sure advances. After had been en-
ployed in this business about a week, found
could work to greater advantage if | had {
small iron crow therefore, ordered one o
the prisoners, who wrought in th5Bhop, to max
me one, about foot long, and sharp at on
) end. This he found an opportunity to do, un
discovered by the overseer, and ; brought it t
me.
Il found that with this crow, | could pry o.
half brick at time, without the least noise
after had worn hole with my nail sufficient
large to thrust in my crow. The rubbish whic
l took out of the wall, put, every night, int
a tub standing in the room for necessary occa
, sions, and this was cmptied by one of the pris
t oners, every morning. into the water
After had labored with unceasing assidu
ity for two months, found one night, after
had pried away brick, that could run m
> arm out of the prison into the open air. Tn
: circumstance made my heart leap with joy
; After such length of labor, to find my toi
: crowned with such apparent success, gave N
: tone of pleasure of which you can have n
u idea.
=" Upon examination, | fHxsE the breac
through the wall was just below q covered wa,
= so that it would remain unseen Ia the day-tim
l. unless discovered by some accident. | ha
d measured the height of the covered way by
/; geometrical operation, not being permitted
it come near it and this was done with an instr
S ment made by my pen-knfe That pcn-kni
l. which had done me such excellent service
e Northampton jail
when the prisoners saw my measuremel
lie was exact, their idea of my profound knowled;
a was greatly raised and they appeared to ente
e tain the most sanguine assurance that their Ii
lie erty was certain, when their operations we
ct directed under my auspices.
or After | had found the hole through the ws
was entirely secreted by the covered-way, pr
IN ceeded to make it sufficiently large to pa
IL through.
er After this was accomplished, one Difficult
* still remained. The sentry standing on t
re covered-way would undoubtedly hear us in g
ed ing out of this hole; and moreover, if
ct should be 50 fortunate as to get, unheard, in
ge the covercd-way, yet we must come out Of tha
We within five feet of the place where he stood, al
ed therefore could not prevent discovery.
k, Under these circumstances, we found it nc
ry essVy to lie quiet until some rainy night shou
I'd remove the sentry from his stand on the &C
e. cred-way, to some place of shelter, This W
vi generally the case when the weather was 70
it OF uncomfortable, unless some special eau