The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-12
fidence Of the criminal. and requesting

| nuoHCo VI tuc criHiiTdl. ana requesting
the warden to send him letter, pur-
porting TO have come from brother as
suring him of sympathy and promising
assistance, as it might be of much use
i'll attaining his object. tn compliance
with this request, Warden Haynes sent
| "Semmes" letter of considerable length
| containing words in different portions
underlined, which, read together, ran
| thus:-
Brother, have good courage, and keep
cool you shall have help. These Yam,
KEGS shall rue the day that sent YOU to
prison. You shall find friends when you
| little expect them. If money or men
with sharp wits can get you out, youwill
he free man much sooner than you ex-
poet. L have seen aud think shall get
the right side of the warden"
| 1t should be observed that "Scratchu
entertained a deep hatred for the yam
KEGS" as he termed them The object
of Mr.. Hayne. in his allusion to the
yankees" will therefore be readily per-
| ceived. The letter was signed "Brother
Bill, and duly postmarked and super
scribed.
The following day Mr.. Haynes re-
ceived communication from "Semmesn
reporting progress, on which he sent a
daguerrotype aud letter containing
words underlined as in the previous note
reading, Look in the back of the pic
| ture," where he had placed letter in
| which he promised assistance as speedily
| as possible, and expressed sympathy for
| "Semmes" and hatred for the Yankees
also saying If he could get some reliable
| fellow who would have nerve enough to
stand by him in an emergency il would
be better to secure one. These letters
were shown by" Semmesn to .Scratchu
who expressed great admiration at the
ingenuity of Brother Bill" A day or
two later, "Semmes" again reported
progress, when Mr.. Hayne sept him a
package purpOrting to have been sent by
express from his brother, containing a
quantity of fruit and number of papers
of fine-cut tobacco, in one of which he
placed note, saying he had sent friend
the day before to visit the prison and
make some inquiry about him, and had
heard. he was at work in the prison in
stead of the shops, and that it would be
easy to communicate with him,-that
he would come TO a window on Austin
street and put note under the sash, so
that he could get it in the morning.
Accordingly the warden put note in
the designated place directed "Semmes"
in case he received it to leave another in
its place, insisting that in consideration
of the imminent risk, he, ("Brother
Bill,'O was incurring in aiding the es-
cape, "Semmes' must obtain some Sc
curity from the person he was to choose
as an associate, saying that, as he was
not allowed to enter into all their secrets.
he positively insisted on knowing some
thing about him, and stating that he
would communicate the plan for escape
the next day if he was prepared, avow-
ing its certain success, and saying that
before Saturday they would be out of the
State.
"Semmes" then told "Scratch" that
he had passed bad night, thinking
about him. He feared he was Keeping
from him. Considerable conversation
ensued in regard to the robbery of the
house in Gardner aud the manner in
which "Scratch" allowed himself to be
captured by an unarmed man, after
which "Semmes" asked him if he had
ne secrets, to which he replied that he
had secret which he would tell to no
person.
On Friday, the 10th of Feb, Mr.
Haynes sent the following note in re-
ply to one from "Semmes, purporting
to have been written to Brother Bill"
in which he said the friend he had Sc
cured was a Southerner, and looked
like hard one, but he did not know
much about him.
II have got your note, and il am up
early tomorrow. morning you shall
have this. 1t is lucky you work in the
prison instead Of the shop, for now we
shan't need the assistance of any one
else therefore, ify II have not said any
thing about the affair, don't; still, |
should have no objection to ones COM
ing with us if he can give any security.
You know | shall be in his power, and
l am willing to run some risk to help
poor devil but if do, he ought to place
some confidence in NE, lqt ! leave it
entirely with you. Nov my plan Is
this: / will come to the window where
you get these notes, some night to be
agreed upon, and saw offOne of the bars
just under the cross piece, and the first
thing in the morning after you are I'M
locked you can come Immediately to
thaL window, remove the bar. and get
ont. ] will lie there With a carriage and
clothes, drive Immediately to my crib
where you can remain quiet till the ex-
element is over, and then for new
start. l have gotta splendid job on hand,
and must have your assistance, and
perhaps another's. 1t is one which, if
| ouSSESetHl, we GILL Srttle uOWH Win
plenty OF brads. propose going South,
purchase farm, They can be had for
song and turn honest You may laugh,
but 1 nm serious; that is for time.
But these Yankees have to suffer little
| more yet to make up for the misery they
have CAUSED y 50 many of us. Let me
know tomorrow what you will do.M
On receiving this communication
"Semmes" held conversation with
"Scratch," but was for some time only
able TO draw from him the repetition of
fntfmations which hp had previously
given, that he was guilty Of a deed with
ont q name. Finally ."Seimmes'' looked
'Scratch" squarely in the eye, and asked
him if he was guilty of the Roxbury
murder. Scratch" quickly answered
NO. and then added, eff was out of
ibis ID State, would EFT mind tell
Ing. But how do ! knoy bpt there are
detectives here In this Very prisbh'; and
If ] tell che detectives will go out, and
1 shall be locked up. But will tell you
what 1 will do: when we get ready togo
out of that window, | will call Mr.. Hale
(the officer having charge of the wing,)
and put knife into him."
1t being deemed improbable that
Scratch could be induced to make sny
more explicit declaration of his crime,
L. ..lc a. 4