The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-03

in a granite rock. Atlength we reached
block of buildings liltle apart, with
double doors, through which We passed,
as We had the others, aud found myselt
on the ground floor of an unnistakable
prison There were three rows of cells,
tier above tier. the upper with narrow
landing and bright steel railing. As
were entered, another warder met us; he
was in slippers, and walked noi-elessly,
ike ghost In sepnichral voice he said:
Forty six. sir. all correct"
This will make forty Mr..
Monn<ey," said my conductor; Its that
Raschk"ff."
"Shall I put him in the dark cell, sir?''
was the eager query
No; in on ordinary cell; but keep an
eye on the trap, and watch him careful
ly, or he'll break prison again; he's clever
enough"
] was Introduced forthwith into an
ordinary celI"-four bare walls, with a
loophole window well barred, and wired
over. There was nothing in the place
but gutta-percha pint pot, and bed of
smooth, bare PLANK, a little raised from
the floor.
Keep silence, will you?" said, for the
thousandth time. the superior warder as
for the thousandth time tried to protest
thai I was not Rasehkof.
mind, Mr.. Mounsey, yon don't let
him talk to you in the night; he'll be
trying it on again, you may depend.
Give him his bed and ell his cup-there;;"
and they left me.
Alone at last, and in solitary cell in
Portland Pri<onl The dreadful truth
was difficult to realize; but bars and
bolts and iron doors are solid facts not
easily explained away. / felt as nisera-
ble now as ifI was doomed TO be hanged
the next morning. As have said, from
the first moment of my capture ] had
treated the mishap as an unpleasant joke
no more; and all along | had bnoyed
myself up with the knowledge that at
the prison itself the mistake would be
discovered. OF course, had said to
myself, the officials there will know
am not the real Raschkoh, the runaway.
But it seemed as If no one knew anything
of the sort had already passed through
the hands of three and. though all had
scanned my fuatnres closely, no syllable
of doubt of nv identity had followed
I heir inspection What if 7 shonld be
<ept TO serve ont the real convict's time.
seeking vainly from day to day and wear
- year to make my protest plain? This
would be too severe a dose indeed. Yes.
I was most miserable. Cold, wretched
md nearly starved, for no food had cross
Il my lips since noon. I gathered myself
ogether, and, sinking utterly detected
rpnn the hard pallet, tried to groan my
elf to sleep.
must have slept; but the slumher at
irst was ftfIl and often disturbed by
he click of latch at my cell door and a
lush of bright light through a narrow
| lit turned on TO where ! lay. 1t was the
yarder on the alert to prevent another
| escape. Even the str.angeness of this
wore off and I became thoroughly un-
| conscious, to be reused at last by a deaf
ening peal Of bells rung just above my
head. The dawn was struggling, in pale
sickly tones, through the wire-work Of
the tiny window, and / guessed that thi,
was the prison bell, the signal to begin
the iabors of the day. ! was hardly al
all refreshed by my sleep, and terribly
faint from want of food.
"Can see doctor?'' 1 asked, as two
new wardens came into my cell and told
me peremptorily to stand up and strip
"Of course yon can. But first Of al
we must search you; it ought to havt
been done last night, only you took vi
all by surprise--as you did, too, wher
you hooked it. How did you get away
Raschkoff?"
al tell you Pm not Raschkof!"
Both the officers laughed heartily
"Youll be the death of us, Raschkofi
But there-wash yourself; it's close OF
breakfast time. and after that you MAJ
see the young Doctor"
| They brought me pan of scalding
hot cocoa, and a small loaf, which de
vonred eagerly. They were capital
there was milk in the cocoa and tn
bread was fresh and white. / got nev
courage from the food. Surely, said t.
myself, there must be some one her
who will confess that am right; som
Dne who can swear to the real Raschkofi
And then it occurred to me that woult
let matters take their course, and desis
from speaking another word in my ow'
defense. / wondered only how long tn
farce would continue. / had plenty O
visitors in the next hour or two. Firs
the "young" doctor, as he had been styl
ed, though he was ol enough to hav
gray hair and corporation. He wa
an airv, off-hand gentleman, wearing
stethoscope, like flower, in his button
, hole.
Il There's nothing wrong with you" h
said, angrily. "Why did you send 70
me?'
ri az feel faint
"Faint!" The utter contempt of thes
words make my blood boil. "Were 20
faint yesterday morning when you ra
e four miles and jumped the dyke, in tn
r fog?"
> / sank back, almost in desprir. HaE
, PLY, nine o'clock was now approachin
o and preparations for my trial began
the Governors Office. was again striI
e ped and searched, my boots were take
r from me and ! got pair Of list slipper
a Then all at once, echoing along the pa
. bsage, came a cry for Raschxoff;" an
Is Raschkoff-that is TO say. 1, John Wra
y Of Cruiched Friars-shambled up tv
flights of narrow stairs and entered
+ little dock, on the further side Of whit
}. stood a warder, with baton, while
II front, some way of, was seated portl
II imnosinp personaye at a hi1h desk an