The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-23
a CLEVER ESCAPE.
How a Tennessee Convict Got Away
From His Armed Guard.


From the Nelo York Sun.
In Tennessee the most Of the convicts arc
worked in the mines, and are not guarded
by walls and bolts, but by men who stand
over them with shotguns and Winchesters.
As matter Of course these taskmaSters are
not of a very high social order, and do not
excel In either humanity or education. II
a convict leaves the line as he and his fell
lows are marching from mine to stockade
in the first shadows Of evening, or IL he
drops his rake at the coke ovens and starts
to run he will certainly be pursued by one
or more bullets, aimed with considerable
precision. II is therefore not a rare thing
for a convict to be killed or manned for life
The guard is only doing his legal duty, and
seems to enjoy shooting at such big game
by way of break In the monotony Of long
days Of watching and loahng.
| But frequently convicts do escape to the
mountain wilds where they are never pur-
sued In fact, If q convict manages to get
half mile from the mines without being
| caught or killed he may count himself safe
so long as he keeps away from the villages
and towns. The trouble is in getting his
convict Rarb exchanged for less oonspic-
uous clothing. Aud all the escapes that are
planned by convicts who haveno friends on
| the outside are planned with this in view.
| Every convict guard has some story to tell
it II he was not too badly involved in it.
Not long ago there was a white convict
named Reed working at the Briceville
stockade. He had been put in for ten years
for a series of forgeries, and as he was not
very strong, they let him do the lighter
work around the stockade. and only worked
him in the mines when there was particu-
larly heavy run. He had been in stripes
about year, and had behaved himself so
well that the guards thought he was re-
| signed to his lot Furthermore Briceville
is far away from civilization, and he had
no friends to give him clothes, even if he
succeeded in getting away. One morn
! ing he started for the well to draw some
water. guard with Winchester over his
| shoulder accompanying him. They walked
along side by side, the convict carrying two
| big tin pals. The we'll is about 400 yards
| from the stockade, around the side of the
mouutain, and shut in from any sort of
view by trees and bushes. The guard sat
down on a stone near by and the convict
stood at the well-box looking down into the
well. Pretty soon the convict leaned away
over and put his head far down into the
| we'll box.
| whats the matterm said the guard.
"a big water snake" said the convict
standing up and looking around at him.
| THE biggest / ever saw"
| The guard left his Winchester leaning
| against the rock he had been sitting upon,
and came over. He looked down the we'll.
| Il don't see no SNAKE" said he. Draw
your water and come along.n
| You don't lean over far enough" said
the convict. Hes lying on ledge about
half way up the side of the we'll"
The guard was interested, and, holding to
the well box with both hands, leaned away
in.
"a little further, said the convict, land
you'll see him."
i LII
| convict grabbed him by the legs, lifted his
! body to a perpendicular, and with one tre-
| mendous jam loosened his hold ON the box
| and stuffed him into the well. The guard
| fell with a yell and huge splash. But the
yell was muffted by the close walls of the
well and by the small box. Fortunately for
| him the water was so deep and he struck it
| in such a way that he came to the surface
right side up. There he was spluttering,
| splashing, aud cursing resonantly. He
looked up at the small square Of daylight
| high above him and saw the convicts face
and heard him laugh. "Do you SEQ the
snakeF" said thu convict.
Just wait till get out of this" said the
| guard. "Pll make you sweat for it,"
But ! won't wait" said the convict. His
face disappeared from the hole and the
| guard began to yell. The convict reap
peared with the Winchester. "You needn't
| trouble yourself to YELL" said he "Two
feet away from this box it sounds no louder
| than frogs croak. Now undress your
self quickly and I'll let down the bucket for
your clothes II you don't undress I'll
| shoot"
IF you shoot they'll hear you and then
it'll be all up with you," shouted the guard,
triumphantly.
| The convict was silent minute. then
| called back: That's a fact. I'm much
| obliged. I'll drop big stones in at you II
you don't hurry up those clothes" And he
| dropped in a small stone just TO show how
| it would work. Inc guard lodged, but
the stone caught him on the shoulder and
made quite an impression, coming from
such distance.
Hurry up, said the convict. "PIl I'M
dress, too, and pass you down my clothes
See that ledge over there9 You can get on
it and keep dry until some one comes.
am really doing YOU favor in letting you
| have my dry clothes for your wet ones.
The convict was undressed first and
| hurried the guard with a couple Of good
sized stones that just missed him. When
| the clothes were ready the convict let down
| the empty bucket, which was caught by the
shivering guard aud filed with the wet
clothes. The convict raised these to the
surface, took them out, and put his dry
| clothes in and lowered the bucket again.
When the guard had got the dry clothes the
convict raised the bucket again.
He wrung the wet clothes out over the
mouth of the we'll and then put them on.
He leaned over the well and said: Say,
old man, you forgot to take your money out.
I'm ever SO much obliged, as l need your
months pay worse than you do. Good-by.
/ hope you get out soon, but not too soon"
And he was gone with the Winchester
over his shoulder before the howl of rage
from the guard reached the surface. About
two hours efterward they missed the guard
aud the convict and set to searching for
them. AS soon as the guard heard the faint
sounds of footsteps he started to yelling. 1t
was nearly an hour before they got him out
and started in pursuit Of the convict. But
every body has to go afoot in those wiIds,
and the convict had too good a start He
was clever enough to keep away from the
railroads, and. with the guards pay, he was
able to support himself and avoid suspicion.
They have not caught him.