Nebraska advertiser., 1864-02-04
InHN MnRGAN,s EsCAPE.

Gen. John Morgan was honored with
an ovation on the 7th, on his arrival at
at the rebelc apital. The following highly
interesting account of his escape from the
Ohio Penitentiary, and subsequent adven-
lures, is published in the Enquirer:
Their bedsteads were small iron stools
fastened 10 the wall with hinges. They
could be hooked up, or allowed to stand
on the floor, and to prevent any suspic-
ion. for several days before any work
,Yas attempted they made a habit to let
them down and sit at their doors anu
read. Captain Hines superintendent the
work, while General Morgan kept watch
to divert the sentinel, whose duty it was
to come round during the day and OBJ
serve if anything was going on. One
day this fellow came in while Hooker
smith was drove under the floor boring
away, and missing him, said, Where is
Hockersmfth 2" The General replied,
He is in my room, sick" and immedi-
ately pulled a document out of his pocket
and said to him: Here is a memorial |
have drawn up to forward to the Govern
ment at Washington. What do you
think of ii 2"
The fellow, who perhaps could not
read, being highly fattered at the Gen
erals condescension, took it and very
gravely looked at it for several moments
before he vouchsafed any reply. Then
handing it back, he expressed himself
highly pleased with it. In the mean
time Hockersmith had been signaled,
and came up protesting to feel very I'M
we'll" This seminal was the most DIFF
icult and dangerous obstacle in their
progress, because there was no telling at
what time he would enter during the
day, and at night be came regularly
every two hours to each cell and insert
ed a light through the bars of their door,
to see that they were quietly sleeping,
and frequently after be had completed
his rounds be would slip back in the dark
with a pair of India rubber shoes on, to
listen at their cells if anything wa 60
ing on. The General says that he would
almost invariably know Of his presence
by a certain magnetic shudder which il
would produce; but for fesr that this
acute ssnsibility might sometimes fail
him, he broke up small particles of coal
every morning and sprinkled them be-
fore the cell door, which would always
announce his coming.
Everything was now ready to begin
the work; so about the latter part OF
October they began to bore. All were
busy-One making a rope lader by tear
ing and twisting up strips Of bedtck, an
other making bowie knives, and another
twisting up Jewels. They labored per-
severingly for several days, and after
boring through nine inches of csment
and nine lhlcknesses of brick placed
edgewise they began to wonder when
they would reach the soft earth. Sud
denly a brick fell through. What could
this means What internal chamber had
they reached? Ii was Immediately en-
tered and to thsir great establishments and
Joy, 1t proved TO be an airchamber ex
tending the whole length Of the row Of
cells. Here was an unexpected inter.
position in their favor. Hitherto thew
had been obliged to conceal their rus.
bish in their bedticks, each Gay burning
a proPortonate quantity Of straw, they
had room enough for all they could Dig
They at once commenced 70 tunnel at
right angles with this air-chambts, 10
get through the foundation and dry af-
ter day they bored, day after day The
blocks Of granite were removed, and
still the work before them seemed ilterm.
Unable.
After twenty-three days of untenst-
ing labor, and getting through a granite
wall Of SIX feet In thickness, they reach
ed the soil. They tunneled up some dis