Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1864-01-22

rff R IL 80 = VI
He Narrates tho rafticulars of
his Escape from tho Ohio
penitentiary.
John Morgan. o. Me arrival b Rich-
mond. Vas honored With "a ovation, and
ds,si.ed 70 bic fsissds The uasses Of hts
escape from the Ohio Pepitsntiaty. The
Richmond Esqsirsr psblisbss The 90
count from which ~ make The folIow wing
extrscts:
Their bedsteads we're email iron stools.
fastened 10 che vail With hinge. They
could be hooked up OF allowed 10 Stand
on the door, and 10 prevent asy suspi-
cion, for several days before any 'ork
was attempted, they made it . habit to
let them down and read. Csp'. Hines
ssperintended tho work, while General
Morgan kept ~atch - divert the aueo-
ton Of tho sentinel, whose duty it was 10
come round during the day and observe
II anything was going on. One day this
fellow came 10 while Hooksssmish wss
dowo under the door boring away, and
missing him, said, "Whsse !. Hooker :
smith ?" The Gessrsl replied. .'He is IN
my room, sick" ssd Immediately pulled
document out Of bic pocket asd said to
him: Here 10 . memorial have drawn
up to forsard to the Government u
Washington what do you think Of
it,"
The fellow, who perhaps could not
read, bsing highly da.ssrsd At the Gene.
rails cocdescensioo, took II, and very
gravsly looked 1t il for several moments
before he voucnssfsd any reply. Then.
handing It back, be expressed him'ell
hi hiy pleased with it. In the mean
time Hooketsmith bad been signaled
and came up, protecting TO feel very
unweIi." This sentinel was the most
difficult and dangerous obstacle in their
prog ess, because there was no telling q,
what time he would enter during the
day. and at night he came regularly
every two oours TO each sell, and inserted
light through the bar. of their door, to
see that they were quietly sleeping, and
frequently alter be bad completed his
rounds be would 81. p back 10 the dark,
with pair Of india.rubber shoes en-, to
listen at their cells If anything wa going
o.. The General says that he would
almost invariably know Of his ptcsence
by certain magnetic abndder which it
wond produce but for fear that the
acute sensibll'tv might sometimes fail
him, he broke up small pas,ic es Of coal
every morning and sprinkled them b..
fore the cell door, which would always
announce ms coming.
Every thing was now ready to begin
the work, so about the latter part o.
October they began to bore. All we're
busy-one max ny . rope ladder b.,
tearing and twisting up strips of bed
tick, another making bowie knives, and
another twisting up towels. They labor
Cd pcrsevcreingly for several days, aud
after boring tn. ough nine inches Of oe-
m"nt and nine thicknes.cs OF brick plac
cd edgwise, thew began to wonder when
they should reach tue soft eartu. Sud-
denly a brick fell through. Wrat cou' d
th,s mean? What mfcfusl Gu amber had
they reached? 1t va. ,mm diately en-
tered, aud, to their great aston,sbmen
AMI Joy, It proved to b. 40 air chambe,
extending the whole length Of the &C Is.
Here was an unex pected ioierposi,r IN
their favor. Hitherto they had been
Obliged 10 conceal their rubbish 10 their
bed ticks, each day burning Q propo,.
tomato qnant ~ fstraw now they rad
room ough for Ill they could dig
They ut once commenced to tunnel =,
r;sh' angles with tbs az chamber, {
eot through the foundation; aud day
after ia. they bored. day after dsy
cks If granite we're removed, and
still tie work before them seemed inter-
n,inable.
Alter twenty-three days Of snremit
t'rg iahor. nd getting through granite
wal "a six feet in tn ck.e s,,ho, ,e.cht d
,h. soil. They tunueled up for some dis.
lance, Al, d ght began to h.u". How
g'''ians WIS tina. light. 1t announces!
the i"itillment OF their lAbo,s, and il
Providence would DULY coutiuus It's IA
vor. they would soon be free. This Va.
the morning Of the 28,h day Of Novem
Der. 1868. The next night. at IL o'clock,
was determined on As The hour ut viii n
they would attempt their liberty. E.ch
mome"t that interviewed was tiled with
dreadful anxiety aud suspense, and eash
tim the qua entered Increased their
apprehensious. The General saws he
had prayed for rain, tut the mo, ming OF
the 9th da wed bright and beautiful
The eveoio came, and clouds began 10
gather. How hey prayed for them t,
Increase. 1t raj, should onl, begin. their
chances u detection would b. greatly
lessened. While these thoughts were
passi g through their minds, the keeper
entered with letter for General Morgan.
lie opened i, and what was his surprise.
and | may say wonder, TO find it from
poor Irish woman Of his acqaaint auce
IN Kentucky. commencing, "My dear
- neral, feel certain you gro going to
t'yto get ont of prison. but for YOUR
sake don't You try 1t, my dear III eril.-
You will only be taken prisoner au;n
and made to saffer more than YOU do
now" 49, "
lie letter then vent on to spe.k -
his sirdness 10 the pocr when be I've,
in Axihgten, aud concluded BY apsin
u 4 I-Nh