The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-04-25
he'd of ohr hands and onr faces ~ red rs fire |

"siS sung iaDoI, Ill WORKING out n stone 4DOut
az big as ones fist. At length the bright
thought occurred to one of us Of making the
very things which had been intended to &C.
cure our confinement contribute toward
our escape. We determined to remove one
of the iron bars which guarded the win
dow. These bars were five feet and n
half in length aud nh inch and half
thick. But in order thlt the wartlcnS might
not perceive that one Of thcm bad been
taken away, we first Of all made IN imila-
ton bar Of piece Of wood cut from one of
the broad shelves, and which we colored
with ink and backing. When this was fin
lshed and dry we succeeded in unfasteuing
| win nails one Of the bars of the window.
| we "atched for moment when the sentinel
on the ramptrt opposite our window had his
back toward us. aud little by little looaened
| the stones in which the bar was set. When
| TINS was done, taking advantage Of one very
lucky moment we gave the bar wrench, got
| 1t out, aud instanuy replaced it by the imita-
ton bar OF wood. We then took the precau-
| ton OF stopping up the hole made 10 loosen
Ing the bar with bread-crumbs, which we
kneaded so rs to look like mortar, and after
| ward threwa handful of dust over the whole,
| that the different shades of color might not
| betray our device. This bar of iron became
| IN our hands formidable weapon. Without
| 1t we must inevitably have lost all the fruit
of our labors. When we We're in possession
OF this formidable tool, as we had now to at
tack stone. it was impossible for US to con-
tinuc to work lying fiat on our faces, as VIC
| bad done, when it WAS simple question OF
| burrowing in the earth. 1t was absolutely
necessary hat we should have complete con-
troll over all our movements. We were OBJ
h,-p tfurI.
on the wall, TO enlarge this part Of our tun-
| mel and to eXcayatc in front Of the wall
| little chamber high enough for two men TO
worl; there on their knees, and large enough
! for lis to Use the iron bar to advantage. OF
| this bar we made. as occasion required,
a crow-bar or ram. Then, and not till
| then, did we make any real impression on
| the wall. The scraps Of information
| which we had been able to gather from
| the ungulrded talk of the wardcrs had
given Us Il false idea with respect to
| the thickness OF this rampant. We thought
| it WAS only about six icct or six fee. aud
| bali thick, whereas in reality it was more
than sixteen feet. When, therefore, after
| indeScrbable labor, we had worked away
the stone bit by bit. and made our hole six
feet and 4 half in depth, we were discon-
| ccrtcd to sec no sign that we were ap-
preaching the end Of our labor. Far from
| being discouraged by this, however, we re-
doubled our efforts, and our astonishment
increased Is tie hole became deeper. Still
We worked on. The hole became ten feet
deep, and it was not until wc had dug sixteen
| and a half feet into the wall that the man who
happened Just then to be ut work, giving
heavy blow to the stone, pierced ii, ana alter
| being daZzlcd fora moment by the sudden en-
of ha li,ri, n
in front Of him. He Immediately stopped
| up the aperture and came to imrart the vel
come news to his comrades. We took Loun-
sci together, and decided that our escape
should be attempted that very night; and
here | must interrupt the course of my nar-
rative for a moment in order tn give tic
reader Il few necessary explanations. Flow
was it. he will say, that the officials did not
perceive the destruction OF the woodwork
| which! we had been obliged to bTc,k up 10
| make the handles Of our tools and the
bar of wood with which we l!ah replaced
| the iron bar OF the window: 10 TINS
question | have Il very simple answer 10
| give. The officials Of the prison had very
| little to do with us. The war'icr> rcvcr
came into our rooms except morning ana
evening, when they Cimc to call lhc
mli>tcr.roll. These visits were mate III
fixed hours. AMI | need hardly say that we
| were always sure to be present Wien lhcy
were made. We took good care, too, only
to work in The daytime, Tor in To" silence OF
night the dull blows struck underground
would have been audible above. Thc WaI-
del> went from room to r0oAl. Calling over
the mllSter-roI, and having >cc: that all tn"
prisoners were in their places, imnle d!a'e'y
retired wilhou: troubling themselves about
what might be going on. Besides, 10 dctcn~
wishing to retain the good opinion "i Ills
comrades ever spoke to the WarG2rS, ANA The
| latter finding themselves thu, isolated s0uGht
no intercourse with the prisoners. A@ain,
! de.cntion being an essentially political pan
! ishupnl, we were not subject TO laru iauor,
| aud within tie court, lis well Il III orr
| rooms, were ahsolutc V free. Annlli"f
| question which the reader VIII nave i>Ncu i
| this: How did you lnauaGc 10 Keep your
secret unknown during these loi!r months
Again his curiosity shall I've satisfied. There
was no secret. ana there could not have been
anv. 1t was impossible fer Us to descend
into our cellar and tunnel or to rcmoUnt 10
the surface without hcin@ seen By those OF
our fellow prisoners who happened TO he III
our dolmitory.
The dormiiotics bci3g open all day long,
| the prisoners passed freely from one room 10
another, and by degrees they had all come 10
know Of our resolution. The majority dis
s,laded Us, and cndcavorcd 10 point OUT iii
the difficulties which stood IN our way. 'ur
project seemed to them III Absolutely llniv5-
sib!c one. They thought tllat cur Worh
havin" lasted so long the officials 'ilaa go"
scent of il. and were letting rs 60 on because
| they intended to have soldiers Stationed
ready tn shoot lis when we attempted /"
make our escape. We allowed our comrades
to talk thus. and only asked one thlll% OF
tbem-tlat they would not hctrax our pro-
jert. This they all promised. and. rs Tie reader
will sc :. they kept their word. mli'', now
ever, add that we had deceived them ;.s 10 l!ie
| tim. Of our departure. When they inquired
rs to the condition Of our work we clrfIullI
| guarded ourselves from revealing The s';tSe
at which we had arrived. several times }
gave them to understand that our work
| would not he finished ietore the end oi jan
l,urv, and oil the very day when everything
was finished We had given 10 sign OF our an
| preaching departure until we We're about 10
set out. We had nothing more to do but 10
enlarge the hole We had made in the clay and
TO ret ont through that aperture. The RAIN
part which we had pierced is OF the left OF
fine citadel, and therefore faces ScaWhrd.
When the tide is low the sea rctirc>
and leaves the rocks dry for distance
of sixty or seventy feet around. On
thc ui"lit of our csclp" the evening
| m,,st.r-Ioll was called II usual, ana we
were shut uD in our dormitorieS. Almost
| immediately two of our number went
down to complete the enlargement OF the
hole. and this labor "cur;cd them TWO hours.
| ON r. cir return we il formed our companions
| that the mo.ltnt for our escape Lad arrived.