The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-03-02

food was handed In and the door locked as
usual, while the company moved on 70
give rations to the other prisoners.
Again we heard the stunning feet In the
hall as the walters returned. For mo-
ment / felt a sharp, knifelike pang shoot
70 my heart. So keen was Il that ]
thought for q moment that my physical
strength was about TO fail In this time
OF sore need something that had never
happened or even been feared before, fos
always in the presence Of danger had
possessed more than usual power. But in
an instant II passed away, and looked
about to see II all were at their post A
glance was enough to show that there
would be no fiinching. The men looked
pale, but their teeth were firmly set, and
they were leaning slightly forward like .
horse straining on the bride. II there
was any fear 1t was that they would
strike even too soon. AS for Capt Fry,
whom bad seen weeping few moments
before, he was perfectly calm and his face
wore pleasant smile.
AS the jailer unlocked and opened the
door for the bread pans to be passed out,
Fry stepped forward In such q manner
that IL could not be closed, and said very
quietly as II It were the most natural
thing In the world:
"a pleasant evening, Mr.. Turner"
We had no thought Of hurting the old
man If It could possibly be avoided, and
hoped to brighten him into surrendering
and giving up the keys without any alarm.
'sYes, rather pleasant" responded he,
in dazed and bewildered manner. He
could not understand what Fry had come
out there for.
The action Of the next TOW moments
was so quick and under such fever Of
excitement that accounts Of both words
and deeds vary widely. Ihave reconciled
them as far as / can, not always follow
ing my own recollections when the pre-
ponderance of evidence is strongly against
me.
eve are going to take little walk
this evening-we are going out Of here, u
continued Fry, standing close to him, and
looking in his eye to see the first symptom
of q motion. was by his side equally
watchful. There was no fear Of an alarm
being given by the colored women. They
were frightened nearly white, but were
our friends, and had enough Of their wits
about them to remain silent.
Turner seemed undecided. "How about
the guardsSn he said In feeble tone. We
were nearly all in the entry now, for
there had been slow, almost unconscious
edging forward, and half q dozen low,
quick voices answered, "We'n attend to
the guard, Mr.. Turner"
t'Well, you can 60 then" he said trem-
bling, while his face seemed to grow even
whittier, for our looks were not pleasant
"Well, give us the keys, then, and
you'll not be hurt, 4" said Fry, while Buffum
reached out his hand to take them.
The action seemed to rouse Turner like
an electric spark. "You can't do that,
he said, and then sprang back, and opened
his mouth in the cry, "Guar"-when my
hand closed over his mouth and stifled the
incipient alarm. 1t was scarcely fair, but
in a moment the three Of us were upon
him. Fry had clasped him round the body
and arms In no gentle embrace, Buffum
had wrested away his keys, and was OF
like a shot and unlocked the doors as IL his
life depended upon it, while my hand had
effectually stopped all noise. He bit my
finger with all his might, but the teeth
were not sharp enough to do any real
injury, and the other bands were gliding
| down stairs.
Buffum unlocked all the doors easily till
he came to the last one, in which were the
four Union soldiers and the rebel deserter.
Not one in the other rooms dared come
| forth But the deserter was intensely
anxious. He encouraged Buffun, saying,
Don't hurry, it will come in a moment. "
Finally it yielded, and the poor fellow
flung himself out like a shot from a can
non and was soon in the front of the fight,
but the four others remained inside.
| One of the points about which there is a
little difference of opinion among US is
whether the attack on the guard below
was not few seconds too quick-a most
natural error under the circumstances. II
all the doors could have been first un-
locked, and all who were willing to GO
have been ready, the jailer bound and
gagged, and the whole number, led by
those who had been appointed for the
work, had burst upon the guard together,
it is possible that the victory would have
been more decisive and the number of es-
capes larger. But Knight thought, as he
was gliding cautiously down the stair
way, that there was a movement in the
group of guards by the front gate indicat-
ing alarm. In this case the attack could
not be delayed, and it was made with sur.
passing bOldness and success.
Porter and Bensinger led at the back
door. The former grabbed the gun Of 9
l guard that stood near, and jerked so hard
that the guard, suddenly letting 60, Porter
fell fat, but was on his feet in a moment.
Bensinger caught the sentinel who was
disarmed and held him perfectly quiet
Another enemy was in the corner of the
yard, and, seeing the rush, brought his
gun up, but before he could take aim Por
ter's musket had covered him, and he was
emphatically and briefly warned that any
movement would forfeit his life. The third
guard in the back yard was at once over
powered and knocked down, though not
seriously injured, and In a moment the
victory was completely won In this quar-
ter. 1t was time, for matters had not
gone as well in the front yard.
Knight and Brown went down the
stairway as softly as cats, but the passage
behind them was filed for little time
with those who were to make the attack
at the back door, which left them without
support, two men against four, and the
latter armed. But they did not for mo