M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1864-01-28
ESiE ESCAPE Of JOHN
MORGAN.
How He Broke Prison and Reach.
ed the Confederate Lines.

John Morgan WAS hOnored with an
ovation on the 7tG, on his arrival At
the rebel capital The following
highly interesting account Of hia es.
cope from the Ohio Peniteutiary, and
snbseqneni 0dvcn'ures, is ppbiishld d
in the Eaqu,er;
TheiI beds'eads were small iron
stools, flatoped to tie wall with hing
IVs. Thcy oonli to hooked mp Or al "
owed 10 stand OH the floor, and to
prevent ANY suspicion, for several
Ilaye before Gny work was attempted
they made il Al heb;i ~ lot them down
and sit at thsir doors and read. Cup
tain Hines superintended the work
while General Mo,gan kept watch to
diver; the attention Of too scutinal,
whose dUty il was 10 come ropad dur
| ing the day and observe if any thing
was g)iNX on. One day this fellow
came in while Iluckorsmilh wal down
under the aoor boring away, and
missing hin, eaid, ~ here is uoker
smith = Tie Gc0orsl replied, "ue
is IL M room sick" sud immediate
iY pulled document out Of hjs pock.
ct pud said to him, Here 10 q mem
orisl ! have drawn up 10 forward to
.tho Government at Warrington I:
what DO you thiuk oi it I"
THO fellow, who perhaps could not
read, being highly flaltered at tbs
Generals condcsceusion, vere grave.
ly looked at it for several inmates be.
fore lie vouchutlseftd any reply. Then
banding !. hack, he expressed himseli
highly p,vesed withit. lu tbs mean
Tina uokersmilh had been aignalol
and came NJ, protesting to tgel very
Iunweli." This Gunlinol was the most
iithcut and dangerous obstaGle in
their progrsss, because there wss 10
telling at what time no would euter
during Tho day, end AZ night he came
irecn!arIY every two houis 10 each cell
aud ius gted light through the bars
Of their door, 10 see that they were
quietly slgepiuR, and frequently aitvr
he completed hiS rounds he would
slip back into the dark With a pair
Of lndiarubbey shoes on, to jieten AZ
! their cells il amy ybing was going On.
The General SAYS that he wouId al
most invariably know OF his presencs
10y certain magnetic shnddrT which
/ II Uon'd produce; ; but for toar tia.
this acute sonSihihty might sometimes
T4aiI him, he broke up small PARTICLES
o. Goa! every morning and sprinkied
them before !he cJll.door, whlch
would always announce he coming,
Every thrg was now ready IL
begin The work so about thg latter
part OF October they began to bore
ii were busy, one making rope
ladder by tearing AID twisting VI
strips OF bedtick, auothcr making
Dowio.kn;Ves, and another twisting
up towels. They labored persovor-
llngly for several days, and alter bor-
| lug through nine inches OF cement
and nine thicsnesses OF brick placed
Iedgew!Se, they began to woDdor wher
they sboulG reach the soft earth. Sud
denly a brick fell through. What
could tiis mean5 What internal
chamber had they reached 2 1t wa:
Immediately entered, aud, TO tbeil
great astonisbment and JOY, it proved
to DO al air chamber extending the
whole length Of the row OF cells. Here
was all unexpected interpostion il
their favor. Hitherto thoy had be.u
Obliged to couseal their rubbish il
tbeir bsdtiCks, each day burning q
proportlonate quantity Of straw now
they bad room enough for all they
could dig. They ut once commenced
to tunnel ~ right anglcs with this all
chamber, to get through the tounda-
tiou and day after day they bored
day alter day the blocks of granite
were removed, aud still the work be-
fore them seemed interminable.
After tweniy.three days OF niemit
ting labor, and getting through {
granite wall OF six feet in thickness
They reached the soil. They tunneel
Iup for some distancs and light begar
to ehne. How glorious was th,
Eight. 1t announced the iulfiImen
OF their labor, they would soon b
, free. This was the morning OF tn
;; 26th day of November, 1853. Tn
next night at twelve o'clock, vas de
terlniLed on ss the hour at whicl
they would attempt thoir liberty
Each moment that iniervened wa
filled with dreadful anxiety and sus
, pense, and each time the guard enter
cd increased theirapprehensions. Tn
General says he bad prayed for rain
but the morning Of the 9th dawne
J bright and beautiful. The evenin