The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-12-04
THE EsCAPE OF JOHN MORGAN.

Capital City, at the announcement which
greeted them this morning, that the motor
ious rebel, John Morgan. had taken French
leave of those Who held him in " durance
vile." and was making : second bus less
digni6ed tour of the Buckeye State. The
report was SO asto tonishing in its nature, that
at FIRST, but lev persons were found wiling
to credit 1t. and even when 1t MAS confirmed
through official channels. it was still with
much difficulty that many Of the less ere :
du!ous could be Induced to believe in its
truth, SO yrea, was their confidence In the
fancied security of the walls within which
I the great horse thief was confined. But the
skeptleal were finally convinced, and il is
now an undisputed though mortifying fact
thar the great raider aud six Of his CON-
psnions have escaped from the place OF theis
Imprisonment. and are now. doubtless
making good use of their time while es rosfe
for Dixie. The manner in which they ef.
fected their escape, clearly indicates that
] there has been gross negligence on the part
of some one for which he should be held
responsible. and il is to be hoped that iha
proper authorities will give the matter such
sn investigation as will bring 10 light the
guilty patty. that he may be made to re-
cieve the punishment he so richly deserves.
Since ,heir reception at the Penitsntisry.
the Morgan prisoners have been assigned 70
the South tier of cells in the new addition
10 the East wing of that institution. All bus
seven OF these men were accommodated with
cells IN the upper ranges; but these seven.
who were Colonel Richard Morgan, Csp-
tisns j. G. Bennett. 5 b. TAYLOR, Rslph
Sheldon, T. Ill. Hines. l.. II. Hookersmith
and u. >. Magee, were on the lower range.
Underneath these cells, with about sixteen
or .ai.y .yh y,T hri.E and ga
ment intervening. there is an air chamber.
some six feet IN length aud four ieet in width.
extending the entire length of the range. for
the purpose OF keeping the cells in dry
and comfortable condition. 1t is said that
one day, while in a lively mood. Hines was
dancing abou. his cell and. from the char
acter of the sounds caused thereby, he con.
cluded that there was a vacant space un-
derneath the floor. He afterwards discov-
cred the correctness OF his supposiiion by
digging through the floor of his cell. IL
seems more probable. however, that the reb.
els became aware of the existence OF the air
chamber in another manner, which Is report.
ed by some of the attaches OF the Peniten-
tiary. This is stated to be, that upon COM
planning that their cells were damp, for
which charge there was not the least foun-
dation. they were told by guard that ID
was impossible for them to be in that con-
dition. as there was q large air chamber un-
derneath which kept them dry. Be this as
il may. attempt TO escape was determ!n-
ed upon, and on the 4th of November they
commenced digging through the floors Of
their cells, using tor that purpose two. per-
haps more, table knives. After establishing
communication with the air chamber. they
excavated with small coal shovel tunnel
from the East end of the chamber, passing
under the walls Of the prison, to the guard
outside, to escape from which there would
be but little difficulty. The men were en-
gagged but three hours in each day for eev-
enteen days in this work. As will be seen by
the following note which they left behind
them:
Ia CASTLE MERroN. CELL No. go.
Commencement, Nov. 4th, 1868.
Conclusion. Nov. Goth, 1868.
Number of hours Of labor per day, 3.
Tools, two table knives.
:" La patience arriere. mais son fruit est
doux''
By order of my six honorable confeder-
ates, Il. HESRY HINES,
Capt. G. S. A.
The French quotation in the note. when
translated, reads: Patience is troublesome,
but its fruit is sweet"
!. After manufacturing ladder out Of the
bed ticking. which was torn up for that pur.
pose. all was in readiness for the men to take
their departure.
1t was part of their plan that Dick Nor
gan should remain behind while John mads
bis escape, to accomplish which was alnos.
as difficult as what they bad already done.
John occupied cell in the second range.
and in order to carry out the scheme it WAS
farl TO- Ill
his brother Richard. This was not doae
until yesterday afternoon. when there was
a convenient opportunity as the prisoners
were being locked in their cells for the
night. Instead of going to his own cell
Morgan clipped into his brothers. quarters
unobserved by the guard. while Richard
was equally successful in taking the one on
the second range; and though the guard,
while on his usual rounds, stopped before
the door and inquired il General John Nor.
gan was there. to, which Richard responded
by showing his foot, the trick was not dis
covered until this morning sfter the birds
had flown. 1t is not known at what hour
in the night Morgan and his six companions
named above escaped, nor have the author
tiles any clue as to which direction they took
after leaving the prison. This morning
their bed-.ick ladder was found suspended
from the top OF the walls, they reached BY
up gateway close at hand.
There is disposition on the part Of many
persons to throw the entire responsibility Of
this affair upon Captain Merrion. the War.
den Of the Penitsntiary. which they would
hardly do when informed that some weeks
since he was relieved from the duty Of tax.
ing caef the Morgan prisoners. While
he ha a4Deharge of them, which was up 70
xsAA mil
each dav to sweep out their cells, and .
guard stood by TO see that al was right
/, would have been exceedingly dificuls fos
those seven men to dig Though the foors
,f their cells under such an arrangement;
but under the regime shas was afterwards
.dopted the task was quits easy Tor them.
rhe military authorities assumed the rs-