The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-01-26
CHAPTER XVIII.

No time was lost in useless regrets. All
Of our comrades resolved to carry out the
plan of escape which was their LEADERS,
only chance OF Hfe-probably their own
also Andrews was separated from them
the same evening and put down into t'the
hole" There was knife in the party and
they at once began work. On SATURDAY.
night they cut into the plank overhead, as
this could be the more easily concealed.
It was fearfully difficult. One man stood
on the shoulders Of two others who leaned
| against the walls, for there was no other
means of reaching the ceiling and carved
at the heavy oak plank till weary, when
another relay of three would take their
place. The cutting was not very noisy,
but little shutting about, talking, and
especially singing, efectually drowned it.
A piece was thus worked out during the
night large enough to admit the passage
Of a mans body and the work suspended
| till the morning and afternoon visits of
| the jailer had been passed.
After they had returned from their daily
airing on Sunday they went to work with
new vigor. Now they did not need to con-
ceal the evidences of their work, for be-
fore the Jailer came again on Monday
morning they meant to be free. They
knew that dangers were ahead, but the
/ thought Of liberty, and their leaders life,
| was enough to inspire them. They worked
| hard and sang long that Sunday evening"
| Swims afterward said that he ought to
have known that something was the mat
| ter by their singing SO mournful1y! They
hoped to finish all that was to be done by
midnight; but they had miscalculated
| their task.
They had to cut the lock out of the trap
| door in order to bring Andrews up from
below; then to pick their way through the
end brick wall above the ceiling, slowly
and carefully, so as not to alarm the guard
| outside. Their garments had to be twisted
into ropes to lift Andrews from below and
the last OF themselves up to the ceiling, as
! well as to make longer rope for the per-
| ilous descent from the gabled end Of the
| jail to the ground outside.
When all was done day was Just begin
ming to break family in the east. No time
was to be lost. In half an hour it would
be so light as to render their escape inn
possible. They were all in the loft ard
Andrews was given the first chance. OF
) course all letters had been removed. The
| rope was passed out, and Andrews crawled
| through, and in a moment was swinging
| outside; but in getting out he happened to
| push OF loose brick, which fell to the
| ground and gave the alarm. The nearest
guard raised his musket and fired at the
4 man hanging on the rope, but missed his
aim. Andrews had his boots in his hand,
but in the excitement let them fall and
could not stop to pick them up. He after
| wards sorely needed them. But in his
| stocking feet he flung himself over the
fence and through the guard line, repeat
| edly fired at but unhurt. John Wollam
followed, and while he was in the air he
was fired at by other guards, but sue
ceeded in getting out of the yard unhurt.
Those who had failed to get out crawled
down and got on their irons again, and it
| was a great mystery how the two men
alone had been able to effect their escape.
Andrews and Wollam separated as soon
| as they left the prison. The former ran q
short distance beyond the skirts of the
| town, after having taken precautions to
throw the dogs on his track, and finding
It too light to travel further in safety,
climbed into a tree with dense foliage,
which stood in plain view of the railroad.
All day long he watched the running of
the trains so close that he could have
tossed pebble on them, and once heard a
party in pursuit talking about his mys-
FERROUS disappearance. The search was
patient and complete, but they did not
| think OF looking over their heads!
| He descended at nightfall and swan the
deep and rapid river, feeling that his best
course was to get into the loyal noun
famous country, through which he would
oniy need to Journey a short distance to
reach the Union lines. His prospect now
would have been good but for the loss Of
boots and hat in the first rush, and the
additional loss OF his coat in swimming
the river. His course was in the main
down the river, but he could not make
rapid progress. The sharp stones in the
darkness soon cut away his stockings anc
left the bleeding feet unprotected. H'
bound them up with portions of his gar
ments as well as he could, and continued
on his desperate and painful way. Blu
he was little too long in finding hiding
place, and was observed in the morning
twilight just as he was crossing an opeI
| field beyond, in which he intended t
take shelter, as he had done the day be
| fore Instantly the alarm was given anG
pursuit made by men and dogs. Witt
! boots and other clothing he might hay'
escaped, for he could probably have mad
such use Of the stream as to elude them
As it was he put forth every EFFORT
Dashtng through the woods he regainea
| the river bank much lower down than b
| had crossed the night before Believ1n!
that he was now unobserved, he swan
| narrow channel to 3 small island, an
carefully concealed himself among som
= | driftWood at it's upper end.
But the hunters were determined Z
leave no spot unsearched. a party Wit
bloodhounds now crossed over from tn
mainland and explored the whole island
BE was soon found, but broke away fror