Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-20

csNeu NNhout containing anlthlug OF real
importance. they sr. of much lnterea
General JouS MoRoAS has turaed mp " the
Confederate Capital. aud had an ovation on the
dav Of his arrival. The Eaquirer give. an inter
estug aceoun. Of the daring escape Of ,hi. cele
Grated par,i-so leader itom The obio Penitentary.
generally considered one Of the strongest pris-
ous IN the country. w'sh his subsequent sdven-
turers. Describing their cells. the Enquirer
says.
Tho bei-te,ds were ANAL iron stools. fastened
10 the wall with hinges. They could be hooked
up or allowed 10 stand on the h0Or, aud 10 pre-
vent asy suspicion. for several days before any
work was attempted. they nude Na habit % lee
them down ard 80 at their doors aud read. Capt
Hines superintended the work while Gen Morgan
kept watch % divert the attention OF the sentinel
whose duty u was 90 come round during the day
and observe if anything Was going on One day
this fellow came IN while Hocker-mith was down
under the door boring away. and missing bin.
said Where IL Hocker-mithf" The General
replied, He il ia my room, sick. and immed
ately pulled document out Of his pocket aud
said 10 him. Here - a memorial have drawn
mp TO forward to the government AZ Washington:
what do YOU think of itr''
The fellow. who. perhaps, could not read.
highly hauerei NJ the Generals c0ndescensi0n.
took il aud very gravely looked at il for several
moments, before lie vouchsafei any reply Then
handing IL back. he expressed himself highly
pleased with IL. In the meantime. Hokersmith
had been signalled. and came up protesting TO
feel very unwell This sentinel was the most
difficult aud dangerous obstacle Ia their progress.
because there was no telling ~ what time during
the day he would enter; aud At night lac came
regularly every two hours To- each cell and insert
ed n light through the bars OF their door. To see
that they were quietly sleeping aud frequently
after lac had completed his rounds he would slip
back in the dark with u pair of India rubber
shoes on. to listen at their cells IL anything Was
going on. The General says that-hc would al
most inyariabl, know of hs presence by u certain
magnetic shudder which il would produce; but
fear that this acute sensibility might sometimes
fail him, he broke mp small PARTICLES ot coal
every morning. and sprinkled them before the
cell door. which would always announce his
coming
Everything was now ready 10 begin the work
about the latter part oi October, they began TO
bore. All we're busy-one making rope lad
der by tearing and twisting up strips OF bedtick,
another making bowie-knives. and another twist
ing up towels They abored perseverngy for
several DAYS. and after boring through nine nch-
e. OF cement aud nine thicknesses ct brick placed
edgewse, they began 20 wonder when they
should reach the soft earth Suddenly brick
fell through. What could this meanl What
internal chamber had they reachedI IL was i'm
mediately entered. aud. Ia their great astonish-
ment and Joy. IL proved 10 be an air chamber ex
tending the whole length of the row OF cells
Here was m unexpected incorporation in their
favor Hitherto they had been obliged To conceal
their rubbish in their bedticks. each day burnl NJ
a proporIionate quantity OF straw; now, they had
room enough for all they could dig They ~
once commenced TO tunnel &c right angles with
this mir chamber. 10 get through the foundation
aud day after day they bored, day after day the
blocks OF granite were removed, and still the
work before them seemed interminable.
After 81 days OF unremittng labor, and get
ting through a granite wall OF six feet in thick
ness they reached the soil They tunneled M
for some distance, and light began To shine
How glorious was that light IL announced the
fulfillment of their labors, and il Providence
would only continue in its favor. they would soon
be free This was the morning Of the 26.h dav
o. November, 1868 The next night at IL
o'clock was determined on as the hour ut which
they would attempt their liberty. Each moment
that interviewed was filled with dreadful anxiety
and suspense and each time the guard entered
increased their apprehensions The General SAYS
he had prayed-for rain, but the morning OF the
9th dawned bright and beautiful. The evening
came. aud clouds began to gather How they
PRAYED for them 20 increase. Ii rain should only
ly lessered While these thoughts were passing
through their minds. the keeper entered with a
letter foe General Morgan He opened il, and
what was his surprise. aud may say wonder. TO
fnd II from poor Irish woman of his acquaint
ance IN Kentucky commencing, NV dear Gin
eral. feel certain YOU going To try To git out
of prison, but for your sake don't YOU try il. nv
dear Gineral You will only be taken prisoner
again. aud made suffer more than you do
now"
The letter then went to speak of his kind
ness To the poor when he lived AZ Lexington, and
concluded 10y again exhortng him TO trust in
God and wait his time. What could this mean?
No human being on the outside hid been in
formed of his intention To escape, and yet. Just
"a all things were ready for him To make the ut
tempt, here comes letter from Winchester. XIV.
advising him not to TRY it This letter had
passed through the examining Office of Gen. Ma
son. and then through the hands of the lower
Officials. Whit if it should excite their
picion and cause them To exercise All increased
vigiancel The situation. however. was desper
ate Their fate could not be much worse, AMI
they resolved to 20. Nothing now remained to
be done but for the General and Col. Dick Nor
gan to change cells. The hour approached for
them no he locked up. Thew changed costs. aud
each stood at the others cell door with his Ick
exposed. aud pretended to be making up their
beds A. the turnkey entered they turned in y
and pulled their doors shut.
Six, eight, ten O'Clock came How each
pulse throbbed thew quietly awaited the APP
proach of twelve! Ii cIme-the sentinel passed
his round-all we'll After waiting few mo
ments to see If he intended To slip back, the
signal was gi, en--all quietly slipped down into
the air chamber. first stuffing their funnel
shirts and placing them in bed thew we're
accustomed to lie As they moved quietly
along through the dark recess TO the terminus
where they were 10 emerge from the earth, the
General prepared to light match. As the
lurid glare fell upon their countenances, a
scene was presented which can never be for
gotten. There were crouched seven brave men,
who had resolved 10 be free. They we're armed
with bowie knives made out of case knives
Life. in their condition, was scarcely To be de
sired. and the moment for the desperate chance
had arrived. Suppose. they emerged IRON
the ground, that the dog should give the alarm
they could but die
But few moments were spent in this kind of
apprehension. The hour had arrived. and We;
they came FOrtunatelv-yes. p-oviGentially-
the night had suddenly grown dark and rainy
the dogs had retired 10 their kennels and the
sentnels had taken refuge under shelter. The
inner wall. 10y the aid Of the rope ladder. was
soon scaled. and the outer one had to ne
attempted Captain Taylor (who. by the way
is a nephew OF Old Ztck.) being a very active
man. by the assistance of his comrades reached
the top of the gate. and enabled 10 get
the wall When the top was gained. they found