The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-13

through the territory that had been stirred
up with the widest alarm over the raid
alarm that had not quieted down-and
while his friends there hoped and believed
that he would escape also openly boosted
of it, his enemies feared the same thing.
Admitting that Morgan had help from
the prison attaches in getting outside the
walls, as has been alleged, but not proved,
the escape was only leap in the dark.
The Morgan band of prisoners numbered
20 and were put into separate cells in q
separate wing OF the prison without means
OF communicating with civilian prisoners.
A special guard was set over the wing, or
hall, where the cells were, turnkey kept
constant watch, two military sentinels pa
trolled in front, while prison guards, ward
ems and deputies made rounds of inspec-
ton. Between sunset and sunrise the
raiders were securely locked in. Fretting
under their restraint, Morgan and five of
his officers decided to risk all for freedom.
One of the officers, Captain Thomas II.
Hines, who chung to Morgan through all
his trials, planned and carried out the first
great project.
After some study Hines concluded that
there must be an air chamber underneath
the floor of the lower tier of cells and re-
solved to open hole down into it. In a
narrative, printed in The Southern Biv-
ouac, the captain described the difficult
task of clearing q tunnel to the outer wall.
He says:
On the 4th Of November work was begun in
my cell under the end OF my cot. We cut
through six inches Of cement and took out six
layers of brick put in and cemented with the
ends up. Here We came TO the air chamber,
as had calculated, and found it feet high
and running the entire length of the range of
cells The cement and brick taken out III eff
fecting an entrance to the chamber were
placed in my bedtick, upon which slept dur
ing the progress of this portion of the work,
after which it was removed to the chamber.
We found the chamber heavily grated at the
end, against which q large quantity of coal
had been heaped, cutting off any chance of
exit in that way. We then began tunnel at
right angles from the side of the chamber and
almost directly beneath my cell. We cut
through the foundation wall of the cell block,
feet through IL feet of grouting to the outer
wall of the east wing of the prison, through
this wall, feet in thickness and feet up near
the surface of the yard. in AN unfrequented
place between this wing and the female de-
partment OF the prison
Those who did the work were relieved every
hour. This was accomplished and the danger
OF the guards overhearing the work as they
passed obviated by adopting system of sig
mails, which consisted in giving taps on the
floor the chamber. One knock was to
suspend work, two to proceed and three to
come out. On one occasion by oversight we
came near being discovered The prisoners
were taken out to their meals by ranges and
this day those confined In the first range
were called for dinner while Captain Hooker
smith was in the tunnel. The deputy warden,
calling the roll, missed Hockersmith and
came back to inquire for him. General Nor
gan engaged the attention of the warden by
asking his opinion as to the propriety of a
monstrance that the general had prepared to
be sent to General Burnside commander Of
the Department.. Flattered by the Difference
shown to his opinion by General Morgan the
warden unwittingly gave Hockersmith time to
get out and fall into line for dinner.
When it came to making exits from the
cells into the chamber, another difficulty
was presented. Work must be done from
below upward, for the cells were inspected
daily. The prisoners had no line or rule
for measurement Finally Captain Hines
engaged the warden In discussion over
an imaginary distance in the hall, and to
settle it the unwary official brought a
tapeline. He won the argument and was
SO elated that Morgan occupied his atten-
tiOn over some trifle while Hines slipped
down into the chamber with the line and
secured the measurements.
1t happened that Morgan's own cell was
not on the lower floor; hence it was neces-
sary to transfer him TO one then occupied
by his brother, who was not to go out
The exchange was cleverly made on the
night fixed upon for the escape As the
guards visited the cells every two hours
and passed light through the grating OF
each, the time was short for the final prep
Arations and delivery. That very day an
incident happened that would have caused
any but the most desperate men to hest