Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-05-13

been prevented, by perusal of his sufferings
and painful adventures in this at that time in
human prison, will perhaps never be known.
We shall let him tell his story in bis own words,
emitting much irrelevant matter in relation to
his jail-companions, moral reflections, etc.
Portions of his adventures are equal to any
thing in the Life of Baron Frederick Trenk,
that remarkable history of imprisonment
was confined with large chain around my
legs secured in the most critical manner, and
then bound fast to the wagon in which was
transported it being twenty miles between the
two places In this situation | was carried
through the country. 1t was Sunday, and in
the room of attending theusual solemnities of
the day, people thronged the roads to see this
possession when we passed, the people would
inquire with eagerness, who was the minister
being known more by that appellation than |
was by my own name. When the minister was
pointed out to them, some would shout with
joy, considering thatI was now detected, not
withstanding that amazing fund of subtility,
which | could use when had occasion. Their
ideas of their own judiciary became highly ex-
allied, in their opinion, for said they, this man
has been all over the world, playing pranks in all
countries, but could never be brought to JUS
tce, owing to his amazing subtility until he
came among us, and we have showed him what
is what be finds by this time that we are not
such fools as he thought for Some examined my
looks with great attention, to see if they could
distinguish where that depth of knowledge lay
which had.set the world in an uproar. Some
few dropped the sympathetic tear over our
wretched state, apparently sensible that we be-
longed to the. same human family with them
selves, and were capable of suffering equally
with Others
About sunset we arrived at Northampton,
and were consigned to the abodes of misery.
The ponderous doors growled on their reluc-
tant hinges The rattling of bolts, bars, and
locks, reverberating through the hollow apart
ments of this dreary abode, made such an i'm
preston on my mind, that with difficulty sup
ported myself under this situation. The ap-
pearance of the CERBERUs, of these Internal
abodes was equal to every poetic description of
the Janitor of hell. Hail, ye Internal Powers
said l. who inhabt these regions assemble
your forces, gather your strength, and keep
high carnival to-day, in consideration of those
victims, which have now fallen sacrifice al
your shrine
Burroughs goes on to describe, that he was
confined in a room the ground-foor, and
proceeds to give portraits of the three or four
companions in crime and misfortune who was
incarcerated with him
The scanty allowance of provision which
we received at this place, made us feel severe
ly the pains of hunger Those who had friends
near them commonly received an additiona
supply from them, but those who had only wha
; our keeper allowed us, to supply the calls o
nature, often felt the gripping hand of hunger
in addition to other inconvenience. All thest
circumstances made me feel an inconceivabl
uneasiness at my confinement. would wall
+ backward and forward across the room, by tn
u u wholeday together, ruminating upon the pos
Il sibility of making my escape. How longe
e to be at liberty, is beyond my power to tell
Often would | wish that was possessed wit
u the ability of passing from place to place wit
the same facility, that we could discern object
u at a distance in this place and that place. Ho,
IL quick would | then leave these hateful abodes
III and wanton in the sunbeams of liberty Ho,
~ easily could l then elude the iron grasp of th
pretty tyrant, who triumphs over the miserit
of the wretched few under his control
Often would | contemplate upon the si
w. uation of the beggar, who gained his dali
y bread by the cold hand of charity, and v,
. walked at liberty, free as the air in which /
: breathed, capable of going to any place
which his fancy directs him, without let
y hindrance /; | compared his situation with min
l. and in the compa rson, I fell infinitely short
~ ~, his state of happiness.
W W Il was determined to try some measure f
" my escape from this place. Ipeeped into ev
ry corner of the room surveyed all the ba
~ ricadoes with which was environed I CO..
" " templated every possible measure which o
- Cured to my Imagination. | at last conclud
" to begin my operation upon the chimncy-wa
- hoping that l could, by taking up the found
ton OF the chimney, get to the ground, and
~ that mean undermine the JAIL and make n
" escape that way. We were determined to ma
~ the attempt Immediately after the approach
~ ! night, as that was the only time in which '
could work, without an immediate detectio
~ Therefore, after the time of retirement,
u pulled off our coats and went to work witt
;. great degree of energy upon the stones in t
~ chimney. We soon almost filed our room wi
n' stones and rubbish. In this situation we c
NV perienced great inconvenienccs for the want
''' light, being obliged to have recourse to pi
~ slvers peeled off from a board, which kept o
hand constantly imployed in feeding theblai
~ lest it should be extinguished, which would
j., once defeat all our purposes.
"'' As was the strongest of the two, kc
r WARNER feeding the light, while labored Ii
=" SIsPnus in rolling huge stones out of the chi
os- ney-way. Happy should | have thought n
a. self at that time, if HERCULES like, could h;
and turned the course of some mighty river unt
,r the iai, to have assisted me with its force,
,od sweep away those huge rocks.
no. Il labored and failed without intermissiC
it till about midnight, when coming to IL roc
ex could not possibly get out of the hole, fora n
Jon ment despaircd of success, after straining W
our all my might a number of times to no efe
in Rood, seeing the situation in which matt