The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-03-18

ten prisoners slept on the Ddre. ICY -colu
floor. They were not even able to
keep each other warm, as the wheel
barroyvs which were chained to them
night and day prevented them. The
only thing that the prison granted the
condemned men was the compassion of
the women. Now, ! saw what self
sacrifice woman is capable of. One
woman shared the weight of a CON-
rade's heavy wheelbarrow. She CLING
to the weak, forsaken man, embraced
him with her numbed arms. and
warmed the poor wretch with her
kisses and tears. A few hours ago she
had been a pitiable beggar; now she
was a gcnerous-souled princess"
Once some of the prisoners tried to
escape. Jaksalsoff writes:
(, "liaikaljeff informs me that several
were preparing to flee and that he
would go with them. / did not feel
strong enough for the journey and de-
cided with unsrsakable agony of mind
to remain. Baikaljeff took my memoirs,
which were hidden in hole in the cave,
and swore that if he got free he would
see that they reached the hands of my
wife or my parents, but if this were
not possible that he would try to get
them published. The troop of fugitives
intended to set out on the night of
March 8, 1884. On this day the guards
of the mine had every year great
carouse, which lasted all night. Prison
ers who had lived many years in the
mines relate that on such occasions all
the guards get completely drunk, and
that the mine is then generally un-
guarded The plan was for the fugi-
tives not to leave the mine by the OPEN
ing by which we entered, but by the
the water which flowed out into the
ocean reached to the hips. and where
OF late nobody went and nobody was
on guard.
~ left Baikaljeff. agreeing that at
a given signal would get up and with
two of the men in my cell accompany
| the fugitives as far as the cave. When
the hour of rest had arrived the only
member of the guard who remained
behind was surprised in his
sleep, bound, gagged and locked in
an untenanted cave, wnereupon the
prisoners crept cautiously to the lower
shaft. In stiffness like that of the
grave was heard only the cautious
sliding of feet. the creaking of one or
two wheelbarrows which could not 3e
loosencd, and the rafting of chains. !
sought Bailaljeff among the fugitives.
but could not find him Meanwhile we
had gained the lower opening. From
the star-spangled heavens two silver
rays of the moon pierced the cave and
trembled on the dirty water flowing
out therefrom. We softly whispered our
farewells and they went into the
water. For short time / could see
! their bodies above its level, but they
became darker and darker, and at last
vanished altogether. ! retraced my
steps. Of my two companions only
one remained, the other, evidently
overcome by longing for freedom,
had gone with the fugitivcs. With a
heavy heart we returned to our cave.
deep stiffness reigned throughout
the lower gallery, as if nothing had
happened, and when returned to my
| Il
rounded by death. Besides us two
there was not soul in our cave. All
had fed. 1 prayed and sobbed, but at
last was overcome by sleep. / awoke
on hearing the shout of a harsh, rude
voice crying out to us. l staggered to
my feet and saluted. but the guard re-
ceived me with blows. The other
| prisoners were also dragged forth
from their caves and logged. On
bedding down / saw Baikaljeff, who,
rs he told me afterward, had oversight
himself and remained. a little further
off lay the dead body of the night
guard. The unfortunate man had died
of suffocation from the gag. For three
days we were made to suffer cruel
torture because we had not prevented
the flight. Ta the fourth day an I'M.
usual noise was heard in the gallery.
And then we saw a number OF
guards driving before them the fug-
itivcs. who had been captured and
logged till they bled. A fearful fate
awaited them. Even the women had
all their clothes torn off their backs.
Each one was bound to thick board,
so that they could not move, and
thrashed with leaden- weighted knots
till the blood spurted and they were in
capable of utterance. This scene was
enacted every day for some days, and
we were Obliged to stand by and see it
done, the guards shouting to us: Only
try to escape and the same thing will
happen to YOU OF those who fed not
one is living. Not one was able to en-
dure the torture longer than five days.
Many died at the first few strokes. end
to-day the last four have been released
from their agonies."
The convicts always lived under
| ground; they were never led into the
air. Those who died were pushed into
some unused gallery. A decree of the
summer of 1884 ordered that the pris-
oners should be taken out for an airing