The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1885-08-07


PharmncopGia--a practice of DR.. Brand
when he chose to think that patient wa
'shamming.'
The next time Stephens had chance o
seeing the governor, he complained that b,
was i'll, and that the doctor refused to send
him to the prison infrmary
| Captain X looked at Stephens, and
thought he seemed really weak enough tc
be put OF hard, outdoor exercise-:the
other branch of the tanning process.
The doctor knows what's best for you,
he said. You shan't go to the infimary
but you shall go somewhere else tomorrow
Where's that, sir 2 asked Stephens.
To tha fields,
Eursrs srFo5E s6sV 6ss1Vi,s7;E,ssf0Huurs
said. Il am III; I feefasif s
drag myself along '''''''sE
You'll drag yourself there, | promise
you,' replied the governor, cooly cxasper-
ating.
AS te strobe away, Stephens muttercd,
loud enough for him to hear:
Il am bound to be even with you for
this some day
This, of course, was sheer outrage and
impudcncc, and Stephens was severely pun
ished. For one thing, he was placed in a
punishment cell for four and twenty hours,
which gave him the rest he was sorcly in
need Of
Next day-it was toward the end of Sep:
tcmbcr-no gangs were sent to the fields on
the moor, because there was local f"S pre-.
vailing. 1t was merely thick mist, pro-
duccd by cloud settling on the mountain
plateau, on which the prison is situated.
The Jail being at least five hundred feet
above sea level, and surrounded by rugged
chaius Of hills, the clouds blowing in from
the sea often envcloped the place in dis
NAL and clammy embrace.
AS he lay in his cell the nj ght before.
Stephens had formed a desperate resolution.
\ man of violent passions, and now grown
needless of consequences, he decided to risk
everything in an attempt to escape. If he
could at the same time wrcak vengeance on
the governor: his oppressor, why, so much
the mcrricr
1t would be impossible to understand
what follows in this narrative without some
idea OF the connguru,iuu or tire bu,,as~.--
Of the prison, and the plan of the interior.
All the officers quarters were placed within
the second of the two walls which guard
the place. The house occupied by the
governor, a commodious, but not prctcn-
tious-looking cdticc stands close to the gate:
the doctors rooms, which he officially en-
joys whenever he is in the prison, are Il
little further on, on the righ:'hand side of
the interior quadrangle.
This, at least, was the case before struct-
ural alterations were made. The whole
space in the quadrangle was gravclcd over.
The doctors apartments were not guard
ed all that anybody had to do was to step
up to tue outer door, enter it, aud then
knock at the inner door on the left.
The governor was not quite so easily ac-
ccssiblc. There was wardcr always
marching up and down before his entrance
-onc of the so-callcd Civil Guards.
II any convict, therefore, thought of cs
Gaping from the inside Jail, he had two
barriers to pass the first was the gateway
leading out Of this interior quadrangle
where Il porter was, Of course, Stationed
The second was the great main entrance
gate, leading through the massive and tow
cring wall which sirdlcd the prison. n
this gate there was always strong picket
Of the Civil Guard postcl-mcn armed
with loaded rifles, who could b. trusted tc
use them, too, in case Of an attempted out
break.
The space bctwccn the inner buildin;
and the outer walls, was occupied by some
small sheds for workmen, and for the res
was bare. Here the convcts exercised
when not allowed out in the fields. They
might be seen any day of the week work
ing in gangs, pulling trucks full Of stone
along TO a part of the walls which was be
ing strengthened, or exercising under th
control Of a couple of wardcrs.
Aud always that ominouS outer circlI q
men of the Civil Guard overlooked wha
was going on-mcn standing watching al
around the convictS, at little distance of
over their shoulders Well did the ia