The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-05-01
John Morgan's Escape.
THE TRUE STORY OF THE RAIDERS RE
LEASE FROM TIE OHIO PRISON.

LEASE FROM THE OHIO PRISON.
A dispatch from Columbus, OHIO,
says Thomas ii. Hines, Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of Kentucky, ac-
companied by Gen, Castleman, Adju-
tant-General, are at the Neil House,
collecting data looking to the refuta-
tion of the scandalous articles from the
pen of the, Washington correspondent
of the Cincinnati Commercial Ga
zette, !, which charges the late Jacob
Thompson with designing to burn
Northern cities and ex Gov. Blackburn
with attempting to introduce infected
smallpox rags into them during the
war knowing that Justice Hines
was one of the six who escaped with
the famous Confederate General John
Morgan from the Penitentiary here in
November, 1868, a correct account of
which has never been published, your
correspondent called upon him to learn
the true facts in relation to the escape
of the great rebel raider. Judge Hines
expressed his willingness to be inter.
viewed. He explained that while cap
tain of the Ninth Kentucky Regiment,
with seventy companions, among whom
was Gen. Morgan, he was captured and
brought here, the entire number being
confined as United States prisoners at
the Ohio Peniientiary.
"Aiter the chagrin of our capture
had partly worn off" said he, sour
thpuUhts pofuroll,, ,nrno1 70 N ,,aopo
OF escape. 1t was the practice at the
prison tor the guards to escort each
morning those employees or prisoners
who were charged with the duty of
sweeping out our cells. 1t had occur
red to me that if / could by any
scheming have this practice abandoned
l would have ample opportunity to
carry out whatever plan thought fea-
slble. soon learned that directly be-
meath the cells occupied by my COM
panions on the same tiers ran an air.
chamber or sewer which emptied out
side the prison walls. l had already
satisfied myself that was regarded as
a quiet and--well, anything but dar-
gerous prisoner Taking advantage
of this good opinion of me, / Innocent
ly requested the privilege of sweeping
out my own cell. This request was
readily complied with and broom Cat
my expense) furnished me. l kept the
cell scrupulously clean for the next
three or four days and received the
compliments of the Warden on its neat
and clean appearance.
Having thus lulled suspicion, and
having secured a tape measure, by
which l was enabled to make accurate
measurement so as to strike an air
chamber, l set to work with two knives
obtained from the dining table The
floor iu my cell, soon discovered, was
simply layer of mortar and cement
and the brick arch of the air.chamber.
l had but twenty one inches to cut
through with my knives. This took
nae four or five days. The debris of
each days or rights work | had in
my bed and slept on it.
"When | finally got into the air
chamber located the cell of my COM
panions overhead and gradually remov-
their cells were built. only removed
them, however, in certain spot, quite
large enough for them to pass through,
leaving the thin crust of mortar and
cement which composed the floor of
their cells unbroken. | had, previous
to commencing my work, Informed
Gen. Morgan and my other five COM
rades in the tier of cells. 1t took me
just twenty yseven days to tunnel and
remove the bricks.
"Well sir" resumed the Judge, "The
afternoon of the nj ght of our escape l
notified all of the seventy officers con-
fined with me of the coming event
We were permitted daily to meet and
converse for four hours in the hall of
the prison. They all bid us God-speed.
and in the evening we retired to our
cells, seven of us for the last time.
We had agreed upon ~ o'clock, when
the guards had made their midnight
rounds, as the time for our escape.
Gen. Morgan was permitted to retain
his watch, and at the appointed NOM
ent two light raps on his door told us
| our time had come. We groped
through the holes in our floor to the
air-chamber and proceeded cautiously
along the chamber to the eastern end,
wheu to our CONSERVATION we found
large pile of coal had been dumped
against the foundation stone. Here
was a dilemma.
fortunately the sewer was but few
feet below the surface of the ground,
and after selecting our spot, we tunnel
ed until we came out in the prison yard
opposite the female department. Pro.
| cnedinr To the sontheast gate we SCALED