The National tribune., 1885-03-05
ENGINE THIEVES"
The Great Story Of Capturing q
Locomotive"
BY REV. WM. PITTENGER-
IooPYEIGHTED. 1851 ]
CHATTER XII.
THE FIRST TRAGEDY,

THE FIRST TRAGEDY. -.+-
We will first narrate the history of the nine
soldiers and their leader, from whom we parted
with so much sorrow and foreboding when the
remainder of us sent to Knoxville. Vari-
GUS reasons have been conleCtured for this sepa-
ration one Of which has been given in the
preceding chapter. Another. that has been en-
tertaIned by many of the party who have had
| the opportunity of reviewing the facts, is that
the enemy WAS now ready to proceed in the
work OF vengeance, and wished to lessen any
possible danger of escape ON our part when we
had been driven TO desperation by the begin
ming of the bloody work. If this was their
design il was not without success for the at
tempt 10 escape, fixed for the very day of our
| separation, Was ia consequence postponed fer a
time.
A week elapsed. during which nothing CO.
CURED to break the mOuotony of imprisonment
The plan Of escape had been modified to be
more easily within the reach Of the diminished
number of the prisoners. The jack knife,
which had made keys for unlocking the hand
cuffs again brought into use. The jail
walls consisted of brick, and were lined inside
with heavy plank reaching TO the top of the
upper room and covering the ceiling. Three
men leaned against the wall. while fourth
stoud on their shoulders, aud with the knife
cut into the heavy plank overhead 1t was no
light task TO cut out d hole large enough TO adj
NIT the passage of a man g body into the attic.
small part of each day only could be devoted
TO the work, and the utmost vigilance was
needed TO prevent discovery. The singing
hour" was especially serviCeable, as then the
noise of the knife could not be heard The
cut, when so nearly completed Us to require
little more labor, SO filled up as not to at
tract notice from below, and attention given to
other parts of the work. Just then an incident
occurred which added the energy of despera-
ton to the efforts for liberty
Capt. Laws entered the prison yard one day,
while our comrades were enjoying the shade of
the prison in the afternoon breathing spell.
which had been procured By the kindness Of
Col. Cicburne and himself. and going up TO An
drows, with averted face, handed him paper.
Andrews glanced at it, stood perfectly still
moment, and then silently turned and walked
up stairs into the cell, the door of which had
been left open. No one of bis comrades said q
word. but all felt that something dreadful had
happened The officer. who seemed hardly able
to control his own emotion waited for little
time, aud then telling tho prisoners very gently
that it was time to close up the prison, guarded
them back 10 their room.
The explanation Andrews then gave wRs
scarcely needed. He had received his death
sentence! week from that day had been ap-
pointed as the time, and hanging as the mode
OF his execution. The sorrow of the brave man
was indeScrhable. The many noble qualities
His unselish regard for every one of his COM
paBiOns in mistortune his cheerful. kindly
manner, under the greatest sufering5, had
made deep impression even On his guards
much more on his comrades.
But there was one CLEAN Of hope. Andrews
and his party resolved at once TO carry cut
their projects for breaking out of the Jail
These soldiers would have dared anything in
the hope Of saving their leader; besides. the
feeling was general that this execution would
be but the beginning. Some of the number
had always maintained that no hope existed
save the gleam that might come from some dos-
perate attempt for liberty, such as they were
now to put forth.
But an additional obstacle was interposed-
Andrews WAS put down in /" the hole" after re-
ceiving his sentence. This required the we'll
worn knife to be again used. sparIngiy but
persistenty. Notches were sawed in the planks
which held the bolts Of the irap-door and an
old blanket or two, with some articles of cloth
ing. were twisted into ropes. When all this
done, although the first flush of dawn be-
gan 20 appear IN the East, they dared not risk
the chance of their work being discovered the
next day. and accordingly resolved to so at
once. Andrews had been drawn up out of the
hole, and il Was agreed to give him the first
chance for his life. Andrews and John Wollam
were in the lott or attic over The prison room,
while all the others. III their assigned order,
they had cut in tho ceiling. few bricks III
tho outside wall had also been removed, and
enough Of the rude ropes prepared TO allow one
by one 10 descend TO the ground. The hope
was that by taking off their boots and moving
very cautiously each one could go into the loft
and out through the hole in the wall, and
Chamber down tho outside blanket-ropes with
out disturbing the repose of the guard. Those
who got down FIRST were to wait beside the Jail
until ali their comrades were the ground
before attempting TO dash across the jail-fence
and the guard-line outside.
1t was an anxious moment. They could 500
the dim form OF the sentry, and hear his meas
ured tread, he paced back and forth not q
dozen yards away. The word was passed from
one 10 another ia the prison that all WIS ready.
Andrews crept out first and swung over the
wall, but in doing TO looseued piece OF mortar
or a brick, which fell 10 the ground with loud
" thunp." and attracted the no ice Of the sea-
try outside, who instantly gave the alarm.
firing his gun and calling " Haiti halt! Cor
poral Of the guard - The whole guard was ia
stanty aroused. and the firing became rapid.
Andrews, however. dropped to the ground,
darted TO the fence. aud vas over before he
could be prevented. WoiianI heard tho noise
from the iBsjde. aud knowing that caution was
now needless, spraug through the wall and slid
with the greatest rapjdity TO the ground.
number OF shots were fired while he was sus-
=
hurry aud confusion were not favorable to
steady aim, aud he, also got TO the ground and
over The fence uuhurt. Dorsey was third IN
order, bat was too late. Before he could get
into the left the guard were ready 90 make sure
work Of any who might follow. H5 prudcnuy
turned to his comrades and said: lit is all
up with usW The whole town was soon
aroused. High officers visited the prison to see
how many had escaped. They fOaDd the re-
naming eight safely roned us before, the keys
having becu brought into ugo. The natural
supposition was that only the two who were
missing had succeeded in getting OF their irons,
and that the cthers had not escaped because too
tightly fgttered. They were, however, pat
down in " the hole" as an additional security,
and all damages TO the prison carefully repaired,
while the guard manifested unusual vigilance.
The afternoon airing was forbidden, and all the
strictuesS which had marked the frat COuiue-
n3eut ia Chattanooga returned. The poor cap
tiyes were made to feel that they now had
nothing to expect but the steTnest dealings.
One consolation was left them in the hope
that their comrades had made good their aight,
and that the death-sentence of Andrews could
not now be executed. When the firing was
first heard the not unnatural inference was
that both the fugitiyes had pershed, bat they
knew that such news would soon have been i'm
parted TO them; and Us days passed by their
hope strengthened that two, at least, Of their
Gted company would get back To the UNION
lines 10 tell the story Of their al ventures Gnd
suiferiags How far these hopes were realized
will be seen III the sequel.