The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-06-23
alanitouuof pilot.
THURSDAY, JUNE %, 1881.
A NOVEL ESCAPE.

peculiar. Sometime ago negro
named Kinchin CHM was arrested
Oh a charge of burglary and as
sault, and was confined in jail in
the above town.
At his trial Glnn endeavored to
prove an abb, but he was convict
ed and sentenced to serve a term Of
Imprisonment. He was taken to the
penitentiary, where he was placed
in cell with another prisoner in
the black ward.
Ills roommate was negro NAM
ed Sim Johnson, who was serving
a term for grand larceny. John
son was sick at the time, suffering
from a severe attack ofpneumonia,
which was superinduced by the
dampness of a cell which he had
formerly occupied.
AS the sick man had been very
respondent CHM was placed in the
cell with him to keep him company.
The two men appeared to be mu-
tually pleased with each other,
although CHM did not like the idea
of being placed in a cell with an
invalid.
The same night CHM called the
keeper, who was making the
rounds, to his cell and informed
him that Johnson had just died.
The body was left upon the bed
until yesterday morning, when the
county undertaken called, and, aft
er replacing the convict suit by a
suit of black, placed the remains
in a coffin constructed Of rough
boards, which were perforated with
knot holes.
The coffin was placed on the
floor of the cell, pending the az
rival of the Potter's Field grave
digger, who was to bury it. Early
this morning CHM, who was dress
ed only in hi. Undertaking, as
soon as he heard the keeper pass
into the next corridor, hurriedly
took the corpse from the coffin, di-
vested it Of its burial garb, and aft
er placing the corpse upon the bed
and covering it with the bedclothes,
dressed himself in the funeral hab-
iliments and lay down in the coffin.
His movements were so quick that
by the time the keeper returned
from his rounds there was not the
slightest indication that any change
had been made.
The grave digger, stupid old
negro, known as Zeb, arrived at
ejail this morning about Z clock.
Going to the cell he nailed down
the lid of the coffin and had it car
ried out to his wagon.
Owing to the number of knot
holes in the coffin CHM was en-
abled to breathe without difficulty.
When the coffin was placed in the
wagon, Zeb, the grave digger, drove
off toward Potter's Field, which is
situated some distance away.
When the cemetery was almost
reached CHM summoned all his
strength and burst open the lid of
the coffin. Zeb, who was attracted
by the noise, turned around just as
CHM stood up and sprang at him.
The grave digger was almost
frightened to death and struggled
frantically to free himself from the
grasp of the supposed corpse.
CHM finally succeeded in throwing
Zeb from the wagon. The latter,
glad to be released, ran like
deer to the woods. CHM then
whipped up the horse and was last
seen driving furiously up the road.
Zeb did not return to the penit-
entiary until several hours later,
when he entered the Warden's of
flee trembling with fear, and relat-
ed how the dead man had grappled
with him. The Warden ran to
Ginn's cell where he supposed that
worthy was still, and found John
ston's body upon the bed.
A number of citizens and sever
al keepers, headed by the Warden,
Immediately started out in pursuit
Of the runaway. but returned with
ont CHM. Several persons whom
the party questioned on the road
said they had seen a negro driv-
inc at a furious rate several hours
before.