The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-04

bucket, and MS body was found the next
day at the bottom of the we'll
Most grewsome Of all IS dungeon known
the mines and was used for the solitary con-
nnement of the prisoners Here the echoes
are remarkably intense, and even a whisper
Il repeated, while a grO2n will resound as
If made by the whole mountain The re-
fractory prisoner was shackled to the stone
which is so near he could reach 1t by stoop-
ing over. Near a shaft where the copper
ore was raised TO the surface is hole,
hardly. large enough for a man to crawl
through, which was used as a drain.
ONE TORY ESCAPED.
Yet a Tory named Wooster made his
escape by this difficult way 1t was closed
by iron bars, which Wooster loosened by
picking the mortar with nail rods he had
brought undetected into the prison. He
stayed many nights within the drain, en-
larging 1t by chipping the rocks. One night
he was thus at work trying to bore his
way out far within the drain when a large
oner in this tomb. He thought he must die
a terrible death of starvation. when, to his
oellgnt, ne found he could kick back the
rock a little ways. He struggled desperate
ly, fearing at every moment that the stone
would reach a place where he could not
move 1t. Finally he showed it to hollow
place and was able to crawl by. Torn and
bleeding he was able to report to the guard
next day and escape detection. A few days
through the drain. but all were captured ex-
cept Wooster, who made his way to the sea-
coast and entered his Majesty's service.
Another desperate attempt to escape was
Joined in by the men who gave the account
of their entrance to the prison. With sew
eral others. they overpowered the guards.
fatally Wounding one, and took the rest
prisoners. They then released their com
panions, and. although some were wounded
of the Connecticut Assembly investigated
their escape. and in it's report made very
sarcastic comments on the inefiiciency of
Jacob Southwell was awakened by the
tumult. says the report, took gun and
ran back for fear they would hurt him.
N. B.-A young man more fit to carry fish
to market than to keep guard at Newgate.
Nathan Phelps was also asleep but could
of the guardhouse Ca small lad just fit
to drive plow with a very gentle team.) He
ing (poor boy9" The l5e blockhou us nV was as
burned three times while the English pris-
oners were kept in the mines.
COPPER TRACES SEEN.
Bright green and dark steel gray colors
will be noticed in the rock This is the
copper which at one time gave a fabulous
reputation for richness to the mines. Many
attempts have been made to extract the
ore, but always have ended in financial
failure The first attempt was made in
lIU by company formed of the land own
ers of Sunbury. The company made con-
'
but the British restrictions on smelling
were too severe to leave any profit An
other attempt was made just before the
revolution. but in ITS the works for mining
purposes were abandoned for many years.
In 1880 the Phoenix Mining Company was
formed of New York men, but the company
went under during the panic. The last at
tempt was made in 1856 by the Connecticut
Copper Mining Company, which built a
stable plant and for two years carried on
the undertaking. While the ore yields 10
per cent. and in some specimens as high as
40 per cent. the difficulty is in extracting
the metal.
S. d. Vets, of Springfield, Mass, a great
grandson of the first keeper of the prison.
now owns the property and secures a COM
Portable revenue from signtseers. The cav
ems were first used prison in 1773 by
the Connecticut Assembly, and were for
mally adopted as state prison in 1870,
when most of the buildings now in ruins
were built. There were many thrilling es-
capes. rebelions and instructions among
the cOnvicts until the prison was abandoned
in 1920 for the present state prison at Weth-
erSfeld