Iron County register., 1882-03-23
MISSOURI STATE NEWS.
Gaston de Rohan.


Audrain Caster, alias CASTOR de Rohan,
the fraudulent priest who escaped from the
Penitentiary at jefferson City in 1850, and was
arrested in Chicago few days ago, tells an
interesting story. He and James Chastine.
who got away at the same time, were ten
months in preparing and carrying out their
plan. Both were nurses in the hospital To
get out of this place into the yard they
found it necessary to descend into the cellar
and come up through door used only for the
purpose OF removing the dead from the
wards. This door had iron shutters and q mar
row grating, the lock being on the outside.
Procuring some cartridges, Chastine, who was
burglar and good locksnith, constructed
key from the lead, which fitted the lock but
was not strong enough to remove the bolt. In
the course of many weeks they procured
brass key, which was modelled after the lead
one and served to unlock the door. The
greatest difficulty was to contrive a
means for scaling the prison wall, which was
paced by a sentinel day and night. long
plank and rope made of the
bedding were finally procured and
also held in readiness. They found it
necessary to wait six weeks before a favora-
Bile opportunity presented itself. The night
OF the Goth of Novemo Der, when the full moon
stood in a clear sky, was chosen for the exc
cution of the plan, and they proceeded quiet
ly to take the risk. To descend into the cellar
and unlock the door was nothing in compari
son with what was to follow, for when the
iron door closed behind them they stood in
the glare of a prison light and a guard trod
the same pavement a few yards away. For
tunately for them his back turned, and
with the plank and rope they rapidly ascend
ed the wall The sentinel who kept watch
there not in SIGHT at that moment, and
they dropped unobserved upon the sidewalk
of the city. A few minutes afterward they
knew that their escape was known, and that
they were pursued. They had taken with
them two blankets from their beds and con-
siderable sum ofmoney, which the burglar had
secured from the outside and saved up during
his confinement. Making their way to the
woods they travelled some distance without
hating, bearing to the West. Toward day
break CASTOR sat down and made clothing
out of the blankets. AS soon the prison
stripes were disguised they resumed their
journey, stunning all travellers and farm
houses. All this time they had nothing to eat
except such wild fruit as came in their way.
Ihat night, when quite exhausted they made
their usual bed of dry leaves and sought rest,
but the fire they had built attracted the atteH-
ton of some farmers, who came down to their
camp with prying countenances to ask
whether they wanted to set fire to the woods.
When the farmers were gone Chastine sug-
gested that it would be best to move on, as
they had shown too much curiosity to be in
terested about the fire alone. So they arose
from their beds and fastened forward, wad
ing through a cold, muddy stream that
wet them to their shoulders. They then
sought rest under the shelter of hay
stack, but the dogs of a farmer scented
them and barl1ed until the farmer came out
and chased them away, following them sew
eral hundred yards, but getting no sight Or
trace of them. Again taking refuge in a
swamp. they dried their clothing, but enjoyed
no rest. The next morning, the 4th, they were
so worn and starved that they were deter
mined to brave the dangers of capture to APP
peaSe the cravings of hunger. Procuring food
at farm house, they struggled on until they
reached the Indian Territory. Having crossed
the State line a feeling of greater security
came over them, and after spending a day or
SO in recuperating they turned to the South,
making for Mexico. At Dennison, Tex, they
bought horses, divided their capital and sep
arated, promising to meet in the City OF Mex
leo. ChaStine, who was a Georgian could
not resist the temptation to visit his
home before leaving the country forever, and
on his way there he recognized while
passing through Alabama where attempt
was made to arrest him. As he had been SEN
fenced to twenty four years he would not
surrender, and n ght in which he was killed
was the result. After many hardships CASTOR
reached the City of Mexico, where he taught
school for some months pretending to be an
Scotia, where he robbed a woman who had
recognized and had to venture into Chicago.