Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-04-16
THEY DUG OUT.
ESCAPE OF LOT FEDERAL PRIS.
ONERS FROM LIBBY PRISON.
Working with Knives, Spoons and q
SpittoOn--LabOring Patiently for
Months-Hope Deferred-One
at q TIme-Outslde.
Newton Mass. } Graphic.

19o. JOnn ". fark contrlUuLeS the
following sketch. Mr.. Park wrote it
twenty years ago and, the occasion
which led him to do is thus stated:
Col. Harris Hooper, Of Roxbury,
(now Boston,, was an officer in one
Of the regiments of volunteers raised
in Massachusetts early during the
rebellion. He was taken prisoner
and confined in Libby prison, in
Richmond, which prison had been a
tobacco factory. He escaped, and
having obtained a furlough returned
for short visit TO his fathers house.
While there an opportunity was
given hun, before he returned to
duty, to meet his friends, and as he
was highly esteemed and Lowell by q
large circle Of them the house was
filed on the evening selected for the
assemblage. I had the good fortune
to he present.
He promised by saying that all es-
capped men were under a solemn mu-
tual promise to divulge nothing
which might implicste anyone WHO
had aided them, and theref' re much
which would be interesting must be
suppressed. But he Could say that
in September seven determined men
began, keeping all a secret from all
Of the other 1900 prisoners who were
there confined until the last night.
These seven succeeded in getting in
to a pitch-dark cellar, with cobbie-
stone floor, infested with enormous
rats. With great care and trouble
they selected the spot ON which to
| commence work and the line of direc.
ii n. Then, with nothing to work
with but knives and spnons, and q
spittoon IN which to bring out the
detached earth, they worked, each 8
few moments in rotation, for the hole
they was making was only twenty
two inches in diameter, and of course
almost suffocating. Thus they worked
for months, when suddenly the pris'
oners were removed one story higher
iOf course they supposed that The
hole, partially made with 80 mucl
labor, was discovered and must h'
abandoned.
After some weeks one suggested
that they should take out the brick
with which the fireplace was wallet
up (they having no frey and the
taking up the hearth bricks lowe
themselves by means of a knotte'
rope. This they accomplished an
to their great joy found their uncon
pleted work undislurbed. They re
[newed their labors. The trend Il
their excavation led them beneath
yard, and they could hear the ser
try's football as he passed them d
rectly over the toiler's head. A
length at the distance OF forty fe'
they came to the surface and foun
themselves beneath an old tobacc
shed which had been used as O stor'
house for empty boxes.
All now being ready, and thns
I fully prepared who had all the till
= knowledge Of the secret. Others wei
{ Informed, and the process of e-cal
was commenced. OF course on
one could pass at a time and b.
slowly, for it could not be done {
hands and knees, but at full lengt
snake-like, gaining advance but
: few inches at time and draggir
ones knap-sack after him fastened
n bis feet. The next one to G" cou
g only know that his predecessor W
e entirely through by feeling cold q
:, rush up through the orifice. Each
+ he emerged, waited at the extern
g iaperatu,e until his successor emerg
'r so that there might always be two
+ the shed; for sentinel tramped ha
e and forth in the street, just outsi
s-1ot ths-shed gateway Which ssS
n. open. Two of the party plac
ie themselves at the gateway. one
the inside of each door-post; a
when one could see that the sen,
Il was far enough off he would sig
a the other to steal out. As many
In the "rebs" wore Yankee uniforl
s. disguises we're unnecessary.
1e they passed out they dispersed 81
M arately or in prearranged parties
u two or three. One hundred and n
Oh passed out in this way, not 100
ht enormously printed. The last O.
te q German, as he stood in the sh
LII waiting for the sentry's back to
nt turned, 1t being now nearly d'
VI break, was taken all absck by hear
oi him call. Corporal On tue guard
so He came. "
IT. Corporal, there's been stream
ai men going ny in this street all mig
ds What does it mean?'
be do they cross your beat!"
vi NO"
'ie "rhen it is none Of your busine
al- What did you disturb me for?"
70 When the place was again still
W German glided out. and when
nil enough from the building not to
= pear to be coming from it stur1
toward the sentinel, and, walking
him whistling ''Dixie," stopped
'.s !. turn of street gas light, as tho'
,w that were his ayocat,on, and saunte
,'s l.sround the corner."
F. a~d lss and Wafer