The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-05
BREAKING OUT OF JAIL.

1t was the "conn mans turn to tell story,
and he cleared his throat and began:
Il had got tired Of footing it over the
highways of Indiana, and one day borrowed
horse to make travelling easier. For some
reason never could understand, they called
it stealing, and was arrested, bound over,
and sent to the county Jail
1.-THE place was full of hard cases, and
hadn't been in there three days when we
formed plot to break out Every county
jail has its weak spot This one was strong
in doors and bars and walls, but weak on
the bottom. 1t would be no job at all to go
through the floor and tunnel out.
There were six cells in the one corridor
and sixteen of us in the crib Ten of us had,
therefore, to sleep on cots outside the cells.
We took the cell furthest from the door to
begin operations in. There was no watch
kept on us at night, and before morning we
had fine tunnel started.
There was a jailer a stupid boy Of IS as
turnkey, and the jailers wife. Everything
was passed in to us through wicket, and
there was no call for the jailer to come
among us. 1t was terribly strong place,
just the same, and the only weak spot, as
have said was the chance for tunnel A
chap named Dodging Bill who was in for
burglary, bossed the job. He pretended to
know just which way to head the tunnel,
and just how far to dig to come out in the
alley behind the Jail, and of course none of
us interfered
"At the end of three days we We're all
ready to get out The idea was of course,
~, OF, but Of
taken very ill, and we put off the escape for
another twenty-four hours At about mid
afternoon of the next day there was IN
alarm OF fire in the town, and we saw the
jailer and and his assistants hurry away
from the Jail As this left the wife alone,
and as everybody would he at the scene OF
the fire, We concluded 10 so oct then.
"Dodging Bill had dug rs near the surface
as he dared. He now passed on ahead to
break ont the way, and we followed close
upon his heels-that is, three or four of us.
The tunnel was short, and would not hold
over three or four. The others stood
ready TO creep in as We crept out.
| was next to Bill, and as he broke
the crust and daylight streamed in, | heard
a scream from woman. Next mo-
ment there was dash of water into the
tunnel, followed by another and another,
and enough came in to drown us. We had
to shin back, and Bill was half dead when
we seized his heels and drew him out
What happened Well, the tunnel was
too short by fifteen feet Instead of coming
up in the alley, Bill broke ground in the
back yard, and right at the feet of the jail
er's wife, who was washing. As the ground
gave way she saw a hand and arm, and, be-
ing quick-witted woman, she tumbled to
the tunnel plot. There were three tubs on
her bench, and she poured the contents OF
each one into the hole, and then ran in and
brought out boiler of hot water and swishei
that in for good luck That didn't sat-.
her that she had driven us back and she puts
wooden conductor under the pump leads
the other end to the hole, and she didn't let
up pumping for straight hour. Such was
the grade of the tunnel that We were ankle
deep in water III the corridor before she
ceased operations. 1t was fine display Of
womans ready wit, and although we were
half starved, and shackled to the cell door,
for the next fortnight, none of us held any
grudge against the jailer's wife. New YORK
sun