The morning call., 1892-03-13
used to bring up to the surface the broken

used to bring up to the surface the broken
bricks and rock from below.
The reporter dotted his coat and vest and
put on ragged coat and an old cap. which
looked as TX Ii might have been worn by
one of the cons" He crept on hands and
knees through the hole In the PARTITION;
then crawled over the heaps CT broken brick
and rock, till he found himself INN ediately
over the entrance to the tunnel. Ii was a
dark, dismal hole, with a sound OF rushing
water far away beneath. Presently the
gieam Of lantern appeared about eight
feet below, and the laborer, who had already
drop right down" The lantern disap-
peared, and the reporter dropped, like Me
Glnty, TO the bottom of the hole.
The walls were quite perpendicular and
afforded no foothod Several jute Bags had
been placed at the bottom so that the con-
vcts might drop softly and noiselessly. 1t
was reassurlng to perceive the friendly
CLEAN OF the lantern few feet away In the
tunnel, which new slanted downward at
an angle of As deg. The diameter of the
aperture was considerably reduced, how
ever. The laborer handed the lamp to the
reporter and babe him turn the light full
down the tunnel.
A sickening odor of sewage arose as the
man proceeded to crawl backward. feet
first, into the hole, which barely admitted
his body. After his head had disappeared
he street he'd forth his hand and said "Nnw
then give me the light aud crawl in herel"
The reporter followed. Any man of $50
pounds, with a tendency to embonpoint who
has attempted the experiment of crawling
backward through hole twenty inches by
thirty, or less, could appreciate the situa-
ton. The experiment terminated with
another drop Of about three feet, and then
the Increased stencil, equally with the run
ming of stream of fetid water. four inches
deep and Ice cold over the feet, told the re-
porter that he was standing. or rather
crouching, in the great sewer of the prison.
1t is egg-shaped and abou: five feet high
IN THE SEWER
The guide went ahead with the lantern
for short distance, and explained that at
a point about sixty yards further on the
sewer contracted like funnel TO the diane
ter of only twelve inches. the object being
to prevent just such an escape as had been
attempted. At this contracted point the
sewer was outside the prison wall, and it
would have been easy for the convicts either
to enlarge the aperture or to dig up 10 the
surface and get away i'm the night. They
would probably have preferred to follow the
sewer. as IL expanded again to its outfall i'm
the bay. 100 yards beyond. This point once
reached escape would be easy.
The return to the upper air was even n
more arduous and unpleasant task than the
descent. and it took several washings, scrub
bings and brushings to make the expert
mentors decently presentable before the
prison board. The odor of sewer-gas chung
-
These cOnvicts were placed in dungeon
for the attempt to escape. One, Peter Hall,
was caught In the act, as already stated.
The others had been quietly "spotted"
making their entrances and their exits on
previous days. Hall comes from Tehama
County, and Is undergoing a life sentence
for murder. He was ad tilted to the prison
on February IA. 1876. Chris Merkle, the
second man. was sentenced from San
Francisco. and is doing ten years
term for burglary. He would have been
entitled, with his credits, to leave the
prison this month. but had already lost his
credits for previous attempt to escape
The third man. George Ross. was sent from
San Francisco on March 1, 1890. for four
teen-year term, having been convicted of
burglary In the FIRST degree. He also had
lost credits.
The discovery of the attempt is due to
Officers Dominic Gallagher and j. L. Smith.
who were specially detailed to investigate
the case. and kept their secret admirably
The officers of the prison agree in believ-
ing that the three men had at least as many
more confederates or accomplces in the
matter. and d!sagreeable degree of sus-
BARRIERS, who worked half the day In the
barber-shop. The rattle Of the machinery
would easily drown the noise of the pick
while the cOnvlctS were at work In the
tunnel. but 1t appeared to the Board of
Directors hard matter to believe that the
fellows could have crawied in ard out of
the barber-shop day after day, replacing
the partition SO carefully. without being
seen by somebody.
Warden Hale is within eighteen DAYS Of
the end OF his term, and congratulates him.
self that none Of the guests at his hotel
have gotten away from him yet