Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-08-05
THE CAVE OF DEATH.

[ SANDS OF unhappy flctlnlS. OeV
, enty-two prisoners who wer
/ condemned were thrown int,
the Cave of Death OH the 9th Of
December, there to wait the ex
ecution of their sentence. Thi
could not be the next day, be
cause it was the Decadi.
i One of the prisoners by the
name of Porfal, only twenty.
1.-TWO years of age, of a bod anC
lardent spirit, proited by thil
Interval to devise a plan of es.
cape. His sisters having, By
means OF a very large bribe, OBJ
tanned access to this abode of
horror, began 10 weep around
him.
sit is not now a time to weep
said he; ait is the moment to
arm ourselves with resolution
aud activity, and endeayor to
find some way by which we can
elude our menaced fate. Bring
me files, a chisel, turnecrew
and other instruments; bring
wine in abundance; bring po-
niard that, if reduced to extremi-
Ity, we may not perish without
! the means OF defense. BY this
CRATE, which looks into the Rue
Lafond, you can give me these
things. / will be in waiting
there the whole day to receive
them"
The sisters retired, and in the
course of the day, ut different
visits, brought a variety of tools,
twelve fowls, and about sixty
bottles of wine. Porral COM
municated his project to four
others, bold and active like HIM
self, and the whole business was
arranged TO his complete satis-
faction.
The evening arrived; general
supper was proposed-the last,
they thought, they should ever
eat. The prisoners supped well,
and exhorted each other to meet
their fate the next morning with
heroism and fortitude.
At eleven O'clock the ossoci-
ates began their labors; one OF
them was placed as a sentinel
next the door OF the cave, armed
with poniard, ready to dis
patch the turnkey if, at his visit
at two o'clock in the morning, ,he
should appear to suspect any
thing; the others, pulling off
their coats, began to make their
researches.
AT the extremity of the Sec
ond cave they found huge door,
and on this they began their OPP
erations. 1t was Of oak, and
double-barred; by degrees the
hinges gave way to the file, and
the door was no longer held by
them; but still they could not
force it open-it was held by
something on the other side. A
hole was made in it with a CHS
el, and, looking through, they
perceived it was tied by very
strong rope to a post at a dis
tance.
This was a terrible momenti
They endeavored in vain to cut
the rope with the chisel or file,
but they could not reach it. A
piece of wax candle, however,
was procured; and, being light
ed and tied to the end of a stick,
they thrust it through the hole
in the door and burnt the cord
asunder. The door was then
opened, and the adventurers pro-
ceeded forward.
This door they found led only
to another vault, which served
as a depot for confiscated effects
and merchandise. Among 9TH
er things was a large trunk full
of shirts. They profted by this
discovery to make a change of
linen; and, instead of the clean
ones which they took, they lefs
their own, which they had worn
for many weeks. Two doors
beside that at which they had
entered now offered themselves
to their choice. They began to
attack one; ;but they had scarcely
applied the file when they were
alarmed by the barking of a dog
behind.
A general CONSERVATION seiz-
ed the party; the work was stop
ped in an instant; perhaps the
door led into the apartments of
the iailer. This idea recalled to
their minds that it was near on
to two o'clock, the time of his
visit. One of the party return
ed toward the Cave of Death to
see whether all was safe; and it
was agreed to suspend their la
bors till his return.
When the scout returned he
said that on his arrival at the
Cave of Death he shuddered
with horror to find the turnkey
there already. The man, how
ever, who had been left as SEN
tinel had engaged him to drink
with him; and the scout, joining
II ..o,.4, 4lox, boI ,0l;a1 him oo