Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-06-26

us detailed information of q valuable nature.
A most important matter connected with the
preparations for our escape was the displace-
ment of the wooden bar across the outside OF
the window. This had to be sawed with
case-knife, In which teeth had been filed
during the night when II was stormy, a little
at time.
1t would be too long to detail the manner
in which we concealed our operatives from
Col. Wood and the guard, but it was ac-
complished without suspicion on their
part, though we were two weeks getting
the bar sawed, and it was several weeks be-
fore we found an opportunity to avail our
selves Of it. thought the game was over
one night when Wood came in about 9
o'clock and walking over to the window In
his boisterous, headlong sort of way said,
"What the he'll have you fellows got that
old curtain down over that window for?"
/ replied to him that we used the window for
a pantry, and when he had pushed the old
damask aside and saw the bottles, preserve
jars and meat, &C., he was satisfied and soon
cleared out, stamping through the corridors
of the old rookery, leaving us to recover
from the shock.
At last an almost perfect night for the
purpose arrived and our hearts were full
| Of enthusiasm for the exploit. About II
o'clock, p. NJ, we cut the cards to decide
the order in which we should go. Bill
Rasin cut high and myself next. 1t was an
unfortunate thing for Stewart that he did
not go first, as he lost his life afterwards in
another hopeless attempt to escape. The
rope was quickly fastened to the bar above
the one removable and the latter laid aside
for our passing out. In moment from the
| darkened room Rasin was out of the window
swinging by the rope. Before he reached
the ground the rope broke and he fell with
a thud on the cellar door, but the violent
northwest wind carried the sound away
| from the sentinel, who was not alarmed till
early in the morning when the bar fell from
the window from the violence of the wind.
When the rope broke and our means of
escape was cut off, was strongly tempted
drop to the ground without the rope, but
the distance made it impossible TO avoid
breaking the limbs jim such an attempt, so
| prudent counsels prevailed. In the dreadful
shock of our great disappointment, Stewart
and / drew the yarn stockings from off our
boots and retired to our hunks to await
the events of the future. AS there was no
chance TO get it back TO us Rasin carried
his end of the rope with him, and succeeded
in gettings to Richmond, and the short end
which was left with us was soon consumed
in the fire.
The authorities instituted rigid investi-
CATION about the escape, but learned moth
ing of the rope and they concluded that
Rasin had played game in which his life
was the stake by dropping from the bar.
Poor Stewart, his disappointment affected
his mind and caused him later on to throw
his life away in desperate attempt to
escape.
The interview between Major Rasin and
Capt. Milligan was occasoned by Rasin dis
putting, from the window, the authority OF
the guard to give the sentinel orders to
shoot any prisoner who came to the window,
when we were at the window and heard the
corporal pass the order.
RUDOLPH WATKINS