The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-02-25

for Nicolaski, $50 miles to the north
ward. Captain Morris experience Is
best told in his own words. He says
I'VE all walked, guard included. We
slept under cover only two nights OF the
march, which took us twenty-three days
"When we reached Nicolaskl we
learned that we were sentenced to Wors
in the mines three years.
"Our rations were pound OF dry
bread a day. The guard would shoot
game for themselves. On this march
we were not cruelty treated.
''Our names were called, one by one,
and each of US received from the inter
prefer paper, stating that each must
dig and send up from the nlne FIVE car
loads of coal day.
'sIf the stated amount Of coal did moi
come up, no rations WOULD be sent down:
so that if any of US were sick we would
have to starve to death.
II was the first to 60 down, and die
not again see the light Of day for two
wears and ten months. l was left in .
bit 200 feet long and about 20 wide.
s'The darkness was so intense that
was never able to see but few feet IN
front Of me.
After l had been down little while
saw light at the other end Of the pit
I at once vert toward 1t, and there be.
held one of the most woful sights I ever
saw in my life.
sit was man six feet tall and built
in proportion. He was covered with
coal dust from head to foot, his clothes
were in tatters, and he looked like q
fend. The light that 1 had seen came
from the miners lantern on his head.
'sOn seeing me he let forth a savage
yell, and came toward me rapidly, talk.
Ing in Russian, to which could only re-
ply with shake of the head. He then
went back to his picking in disgust.
Later an officer came down, bringing
with him two belts and chain with
riveting instruments.
The belts were ofthick leather, pad
ded on the inside so that they would not
cut into us when put on. The officer
rlvited two bands Of iron to the outside
OF these belts. and then put one on eac
of us connecting US with an iron chain
eight feet long. Up to this time the Pole,
for that, l learned, was the nationality
of my fellow prisoner, had worked in the
pit alone.
s'Whv we were chained together did
not know, and don't know now, unless
it was to increase the punishment or to
prevent escape, though The latter was
absolutely impossible in a pit so many
feet beneath the surface Of the earth,
with single outlet up the shaft, at the
mouth of which was stationed guard
day and night.
1.-THE Pole was really insane, and for
q day Or two my condition was mighty
uncomfortable. He ate my rations ol
rice soup and threatened to kill me when
I expostulated.
cat last hunger drove me to despera'
ton and the Pole and l had terrible
fight.
''He was much stronger than l, bat he
had no skill, and I got the best OF him
and gave him sound drubblng. After
that we got along all right.
"At the end of three months, l awoke
one morning and found my companion
dead. 1 was in a dilemma. was chained
to a dead man. and with five carloads Of
coal 10 send up, or no rations.
while 1 was turning it over in my
mind a thought struck me. By this
time l was nearly starved. 1 thought II
1 could wheel the corpse from the vein
of coal to the shaft, take it Oft there and
dump my coal into the car, and work
hard enough to do two mems work l
would get the rations sent down for
both of US, anil this l did FOR four days.
sending both lanterns up every night,
At the end of this time l couldn't stand
it any longer, and I decided to do my
own work only.
Thereafter, as l expected. rations
came down for only one. At this time
think: that for several days my reason
partially left me, for can remember
beating the cropse with my shovel.
Il don't know why l should have done
80, hut suppose L was driven frantic
by seeing myself helplessly chained to a
corpse.
AT the end of fifteen days. having
had to lift and carry the fellow around
all the time, 1 began to feel weak from
labor and sick from the stencil OF the
putrefying body.
What to do l didn't know. But al
last fearful thought came to me that
makes NE shudder to this day, and there
was no way but to carry it ou..
Il took my shovel and cut the corpse
through at the waist, removing the belt,
thus, by the only possible way, freeing
myself from the body.
Il placed the portions ofthe corpse on
the car and sent them up on the next
load of coal.
"On the nexs car down were hammer
ard coal chisel. which l had OWNED was
for the purpose of taking oil my bands
anG chain.
This | did. and sent them up with
the next load Of coal. This was all the
rec ognition they gave to my sending up
the dead body. Learned when | came
out that pardon had come Tor the Pole
only few weeks after his death h,zrazss,s
Now, l was alone, and !
my five carloads daily, uJs
after had sent up my s:z rs
paper came down telling
lamp on the next load.
I had been i'll the nil
T was to send up. Is s, I
each day ;t
My
consid3
pretty
81 sA
and
were
m Oh