Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-09-16

Hines now mount9d guard az the uOOr
of his cell, while the work was carried
on by the rest of US. He pretended TO
be deeply e~ngrossed 10 study but In
reality be was watching every move
ment of the guards and keepers. II one
approached he gave US warning by a
system OF taps on she floor. One tap
meant to stop. two TO proceed and three
to come out.
We cut a tunnel at right angles from
the air chamber through the founda-
ton wall Of the cell block five feet,
through twelve feet OF grouting TO the
outer wall Of the east wing of the pris-
on, then through this wall six Feet Ia
thickness, and then four feet up near
the surface OF the yard In an nnfre-
ouented place. Our tunnel completed,
il only remained TO make an entrace
from the cell Of each man who was 10
escape. into the air chamber. This
could only be done By working from
the air chamber upward, because the
cell Of every man except Captain Hines
was visited daily.
To do this we must have something
TO measure with ia order 20 locate the
spots at which IN make these holes. We
secured a measuring line by involving
the warden in a dispute about the length
of the hall, Captain Hines a~bstractlng
IL long enough, after the hall had been
measured, 10 answer our purpose. Inc
chamber being very dark, we obtained
matches and candles from our SICK
comrades 10 tho hospital.
1t was very essential to our purpose
that we should have an accurate knowi-
edge Of the prison yard and the wall
enclosing 10, but the windows OF the
hall were too high 10 afford Us a view.
fortunately the warden ordered the
walls aud ceiling of the hall to be swept,
and a long ladder being brought for that
purpose l offered the warden the wager
that l could go haud Oyer hand TO It's
TOP, rest for q mOment and descend in
the same way. He took me up, and
having been famous all my life for feats
of strength and agility, l readily won
the bet. While resting at the top OF
the ladder I made a thorough survey OF
tho yard. There was q double gate to
10 the outer wall south Of the wing
in which we then were and almost 81
right angles from its eastern end.
or this double gate the outer portal
was solid as the wall itself, while the
inner was Of wooden uprights four
inches apart. BY means Of this latter
gate We might ascend TO the top of the
prison wall. For that purpose we made
a rope Of our bed ticking and fastened
TO it a graphing iron made out OF the
poker Of the hail stove.
H An 800 --,Han haI ham fnLan nv nnF
captOrs, but we obtained q fresh supply
from friends in the South secreted In
the cover of an old book sent through
the mail. An old convict, who was
often sent into the city on errands by
the warden, procured US a newspaper,
from which we learned that a train
left for Observation-Disclosures we were
bound-at l:l5 a. m. AT midnight the
guards made q round Of the cells, and
we determined To start at that hour. I
was 10 descend into the air chambers
and notify the others by a tap under
the floor OF each cell.
The evening OF November eth being
dark and cloudy, we determined to try
our luck that night. When we were
locked up that night General Morgan
contrived to change places with mis-
brnthe-, who occupied n OF the lower
cells and who greatly resem0led him in
face and form. Every man arranged the
stool, with which each cell was supplied,
in his bed TO look like a sleeping man
when the guard should thrust his Ian
tern through the cell door q few minutes
later.
I had General Morgan's gold watch,
aud |punctually at midnight l broke
with my boot heel the thin layer OF
cement which separated my cell from
the air chamber, and passing along the
latter gave q tap under the floor OF each
of the others, who soon Joined me. We
crawled through our tunnel, aud break
ing the thin layer Of earth which sepa-
rated its end from the surface, we were
o in the prison yard. Over the
wooden gate which l had seen from
the ladder we threw our graphing iron,
and by its bed-ticking rope drew our
selves up till We stood on the wing wall,
when we readily passed TO the outside
wall in full view OF freedom.
The top Of the latter wall was 80
broad as 20 form q walkwaY for the
guards, who were stationed there dur
ing the day, but who at night were
placed inside the walls. This walkway
was supplied with sentry boxes, and in
one Of these We Invested ourselves OF
the garments we had sOiled ia passing
through the tunnel, each man having
provided for this By wearing two suits.
With one Of the knives used In tunnel
ing General Morgan then cut the rope
running along the wall to the warden's
ofhce bell. Fastening our graphing
iron to the railing running along the
edge OF the wall, we descended to the
ground outside aud were free once
moro, though at that very moment the
prison guards were sitting around a
fire not sixty yards away.
We now separated, aud in parties Of
two and three made our way to the rail-
wav station aud took the train for Gin
cinnati. During the journey General
Morgan sat beside q Federal Major
in full uniform, and was soon on the
best OF terms with him. Our route lay
directly past the prison whence we had
lust come, aud as we whizZed 0v IL the
Federal officer said 10 our leader,
THAT is where the rebel General, Nor
gan, is now imprisoned" N~Indeed, :"
said General Morgan, II hope they will
always keep him as safely as they have
him now"
At Dayton U train was delayed for
over an hour, and this made it unsafe
for US to go on TO Cincinnati as We had
intended, because we should now be I'M
able TO reach that city until long after
" 81 49,. wkAH
time our escape was certain TO be dis
a.HA.-1Akn1 oil nvaW kha