Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-16
A CLEVER ESCAPE.
HOW A TENNESSEE CONVICT GOT
AWAY FROM AN ARMED GUARD.

Ingenious Convict Who Is at Large.
Getting a Change of Clothes.
In Tennessee the most of the convicts
are 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 very high
social order, and do not excel in either
humanity or education. If a convict
leaves the line as he and his fellows are
marching from mine to stockade in the
first shadows of evening, or if 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. 1t is therefore not rare
thing for convict to be killed or mai1n-
ed for life.
Not long ago there was white con-
vict named Reed working at the Brice-
vile stockade. He had been put in for
ten years for 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 particularly heavy run. He
had been in stripes about a year, and
had behaved himself so well that the
guards thought he was resigned 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 morning he start
ed for the well to draw some water, a
guard with Winchester over his shoul-
der accompanying him. They walked
along side by side, the convict carrying
two big tin pals. The well is about 400
yards from the stockade, around the
side Of the mountain, and shut in from
any sort of view by trees and bushes.
The guard sat down ON 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 well box.
"What's the natter" said the guard.
ga 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 well.
81 don't see no snake" said he. "Draw
your water and come along"
"You don't lean over far enough" said
the convict. "He's lying on a ledge
about half way up the side of the WE'LL"
The guard was interested, and hold
ing to the well box with both hands,
leaned away in.
ga little further" said the convict,
"and you'll see him."
The guard leaned still further in. The
convict grabbed him by the legs, lifted
his body to a perpendicular, and with
one tremendousjam loosened his hold on
the box and stuffed him into the well.
The guard fell with yell and huge
splash. But the yell was muf1led by the
close walls Of the well and by the small
box. Fortunately for him the water was
deep and he struck it in such way
that he came to the surface right side up.
There he was, spluttering, splashing and
cursing resonantly. He looked up at the
small square of daylight high above
him and saw the convict's face and heard
him laugh. "Do you see the snakeY'
said the convict.
"Just wait till l get out of this!" said
the guard. "Tll make you sweat for
it,"
"But won't watt" said the convict.
His face disappeared from the hole and
the guard began to yell. The convict
reappeared 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 un-
dress yourself quickly and I'll let down
the bucket for your clothes. If you
don't undress I'll shoot"
eff 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 out: "That's fact. I'm much
obliged. I'll drop big stones in at you if
you don't hurry up those Clothes" And
he dropped in small stone just to show
how it would work. The guard lodged
it, but the stone caught him on the
shoulder and made quite an impression,
coming from such distance.
"Hurry up" said the convict. "Tll
undress, too, and pass you down. my
clothes. See that ledge over there? You
can get on it and keep dry until some
one comes. I am really doing you a
favor in letting you have my dry clothes
for your wet ones"
The convict was undressed first and
hurried the guard with 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 and filed
with 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 well 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 need
your months pay worse than you do
Goodby. 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 sur
face. About two hours afterward they
missed the guard and the convict and
set to searching for them. AS soon as
the guard heard the faint sounds of foot
steps he started to yelling. Itwas nearly