Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-09-05
ESCAPE FROM A CONVENT.


Perii0us Descent OF an UnrePentant
Magdalen-A Rag Ladder and q Con.
vent wall.
The Louisville Courier-Journal of
Thursday last, has the following:
The daylight of yesterday morning, as
1t broke over the dim religious walls of
the old convent Of the Good Shepherd ON
Eighth street, revealed a most irreyerent
appendage dangling from one Of its
third story windows, altogether out Of
keeping with the tone of the place and
its surroundings. The appendage in
question proved to be q succession of
strips of unbleaehed domestic. that had.
on the day before, seen service as sheet
on one Of the little beds in the dormitory
from which the third-stoTy window
looked out, and this bed had belonged 10
a recent inmate OF the convent
The recent inmate of the convent
turned out to have been young woman
known here as Hattie ellison, for some
time one of the occupants Of the bagniO
kept by Florence Williams, on Hancock
street, and the bed in the dOrmitory was
empty Hattie had escaped on the rag
ladder during the night She had been
ia the convent only about twelve days,
and had gone there in company with
Florence Williams, the proprietress Of
the Ha1eOck-street bagniO, the two hay-
ing perhaps some vague notions Of re-
pentance, though Florence is reported to
have been little tipsy at the time of
their admittaace.
HI Kffa MAJ n OIL. ~
girl; had come to this city from NASH
vile, and had seen considerable of life,
but had never seen life in u convent She
was, therefore, little curious to soc
what was, to her, a new phase of the
aeeting show, and, together with Flor
ence, she began her brief career in her
new quarters Neither Of them had re-
manned long before they were seized
with longing for liberty and the pursuit
Of happiness out in the world, and Hattie
was soon begging to be released. The
Mother Superior, il Is alleged, turned
deaf ear to all entreaty on this point, and
Hattie, seeing no hope in that quarter,
resolved to attempt an escape. She as
first thought Of setting Ere to the dOrmi.
tory and escaping in the confusion that
would follow, but afterWard hit upon
another plan Retiring at O'Clock
Tuesday night, she took with her to bed
pair of scissors, and at once set
to work to cut the sheet into strips.
Working silently for several hours
with the quils drawn over her head, she
succeeded in cutting up the whole sheet
and tying the strips together, forming
string long enough to reach the ground
from one Of the windows. At about one
o'clock in the morning, when she believed
all the occupants Of the dormitOry to be
sound asleep, she stole to the window,
bareheaded and barefoOted, fastened one
end Of the miniature rope securely in-
side, and casting it forth, craWled steal.
thily out Of the apartment Trusting her
whole weight to the strips, she began let
ting herself down. Her weight proving
too much for the strength of her arms,
her descent became fearfuIly rapid, but,
elinging to her frail support, she reached
the ground in safety, though with bleed.
ing fingers and almost breathless. The
high wall inelOsing the convent was now
in her way, but by means of friendly
grapevine she clambered over this, and
then mounting q lumber pile, sealed the
outer wall and gained the street.
Not knowing which way to turn, and
presenting much the appearance of an
| escaped lunatic, she CHANGED 70 eneOuns
ter two men whom she knew, and who
| directed her to her former home on Hans
cock street, to which she fed precipitate-
", arriving safely in a very short time at
her old quarters
The attempt was certainly most dar-
ing one, and could hardly have been exs
ecuted By any but a reckless, determined
woman Miss Gibson, it is said, declared
she would rather have broken her neck
than to have been compelled to return to
her convent life.