Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1882-11-16
Se1efttd Snry.
Attacked By StOWa-
Ways.

"Ay, ay, Shipmates, | know it is my
turn now. so hold up while | get
wind" said old Jack Caswell, as we
| lay becalmed off St. Verne one sul'ry
day in August, aud to pass away the
time, that hung rather heavily on our
hands, were gagged in story telling.
Lets see,' he began after a mo-
men's reflection, "it WAS in thu sea-
son of Sc, that | hired under old Cap
tain Warrenton, who run schooner
on the coasts OF the Gulf She was a
small claft, Of not more than a hun
dred and fifty tons burden, and on
the trip am speaking of was loaded
at Mobile With cargo for New Or
leans.
"Besldes the skipper and myself,
then a lad of only fifteen, there WAS
bnt one baud. AS the craft was easi.
| " handled, and the runs short Cap
tain Warrenton seldom ever shipped
more than fen ; and on this time, wheu Il
lie cot ready to sail, and one of the
men couldn't be found, he concluded
to start with me and the other one, a
sailor named Ned Allen, for there
was prospect Of a quick and easy
passage"
"There was great excitement n Mo.
bile over the escape Of a couple Of vii.
lians from Jail, who had been recent
" captured and were awaiting trial
for murder. | don't believe a tough
er par Of rsscals were ever found III
Alabama than Huell Victor and Den
mis- Lorne. They had killed as many
as half a dozen persons, to say moth
ing of Other crimes without number
Of which they were guilty.
"You may guess that their escape
created no little disturbance, ard
thev were more dreaded than ever
The authorities did their best to
recapture them, butAno trace Of the
desperadoes could be found, and the
day we left port three thousand dol
lars reward was offered for them, or
one half that sum for either Of them.
"Well we had a fair wind for start
and ran down the bay, standing off
between the DAuphln and the point at
about six "
about that time | had OCCASION to
60 into the fore peak to get some rope
warn. Now we had no forecasrle part
cd off from the hold AS there was
room enough for all in the cabin, and
we had this stowaway in between the
bows, where We chucked away our old
trumpery.
Il was At work unlaying a piece Of
rope for the yarns, when thought |
heard uo,s among the boxes in the
hold. Listening a moment with my
ear close to the bulkhead, | knew
some 0ne was in there. As the cap
tain and Allen were above, | wonder
ed who it could be. and kept perfectly
still, to see if I could find out
Il was not kept in suspense long,
for pretty soon heard a man speak
and then another answered him
"You may believe was all attention
then, and soon learned that our pas
sengers were none others than Ruell
Victor and Dennis Lorne, the desper.
ADDE'S who had ESCAPED from the Mo.
bile Jail T.
"From what they said, found that
they had crawled into the hold and
slowed themselves away so well that
we had not seen them when we had
finished loading. They had got pro-
vision enough to live on day or two
and were planning to come on deck at
dark, overpower US and put to sea.
They were armed, and, what frlghten-
ed me the most { for you must remem.
Der was only hoy, though nearly
as large as | am now they had hired
Ned Allen to help them This would
make them three against the captain
and myself"
Gas they had been further aft when
| first came down, and were now get
ting ba.k to their old corner, | felt
that they lad not heard me, SO | crept
back to the deck as quietly as posi-
bic"
I'VE wers then leaving the light