Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-18

opening passed over to me the two cor ners of what felt like blanket, and whispered:. Steady; keep it up slow ana steady.-
 | did not need to be told what was to do nor why it was to be done. The duty of myself and of the man who held the other side of she blanket was to move our arms so as to force air into the tunnel, for on this depended the life of the brave fellow working like a mole within.
 The man in the tunnel drew in after him a square wooden box, such as had been used in the prison for Q spittoon. At opposite sides this box had cords fastened to 1t, which served to drag it in and out, and also as means of sig, mailing, by the man working within, when 1t was full.
 The dirt taken from the tunnel was scattered over the floor, from which the loose fodder was first removed-it wasl always placed back when the night'sl work was finished.
 found the flaming very hard work. but was relieved every half hour, as was the man digging inside. The sensation of working in the dark with those in-i tensely silent, earnest men can never: forget, while the time was regulated by the "alrs we'll" of the guards, under! whose feet n pathway to ''iberty and Gods land" was being cut.
 wanted to take my turn inside, butt Howard would not hear to it until he had had a chance to post" me as to the! work.
 About one o'clock we were relieved byy another gang, and with my friend, l, crept back, as had come, to the Upper Chlckamauga.
 Hitherto I had been living in daily dread of Q summons from the prison officials, to answer for the death of Frank Brent, but now that had some thing to do and prospect of escaping, my feelings underwent a radical change and became positively cheerful. Through Howard Scott met Colonel Ross and all my fellow-workers, some of whom were old friends. There were less than thirty in all engaged in this wonderful work, and the secrecy with which they succeeded in keeping their scheme from all the other prisoners was not the least amazing part of the under taking.
 soon got to know the tunnel as well as if I had been its originator. Its course was due east under Q roadway that ran down from Carey street to the canal and at right angles to the prison front. On the other side of this short street there was a high-board fence that shut out the space from beyond view of the guards. This space was 0 sort of court yard for another warehouse to the east, and in this warehouse great quan- titles of boxes were stored; these boxes had been received under flag of truce for tho prisoners, but, about January 1, 1864, the delivery of them ceased and they were nightly footed by our guards.
 As the tunnel neared completion my own anxiety became so great that rest during the day became impossible, for an intense impulse was on me to be at work all the time. found another Kentuclian who was possessed in the same way. This was Captain Johnston, who could work harder and go longer without food or sleep than any man I ever met.
 At length, in early February, the tun- mel was nearly completed, and Cap tain Johnston was missing from roll call. The prison was searched for him, and the tunnellers, who knew where he was, felt cold and nervous till Ross told them that Johnston must have escaped by brihing one of the guards, as Captain Shelton had done a short time before: