The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-03
THE SECRET REVEALED
How MorgaD's Confederate Raid
.ers Got Free.
THROUGH THE AIR SHAFT
b Secret Discovered After Thirty
nvs Years OF eiisucs-Ths Tunnel
Dug by the Raiders Care
fully Explored.

Columbus, o., Jan. 2.-After a lapse Of
IS years the manner Of the escape OF
the Morgan raiders from the Ohio Leni-
Tertiary is definitely known.
The air shaft through which the raid
ers escaped was found by a party Of
~convicts. headed by Superintendent La
ney n Warden Coffin. But although
this was good evidence that the raiders
had escaped in the mann4r they claim
ed. and not through the COLLISION Of any
OF The officials of the penitentiary, 1t
was not defaIse proof.
The proof was found to day. The en-
trance into the tunnel was enlarged SO
that searchers could enter with lights,
and make a thorough Investigation. The
air shaft was black with age, and hung
with cobwebs. The floor was inches
deep In the accumulated dust OF years
In the walls of the tunnel were m
u small holes. which had apparently
been made for the purpose OF concealing
articles used by the f~requenters of the
tunnel. or had been left by the masons
when the tunnel was first constructed.
In one of those holes. vas found two
knives to-day. both of them black with
age. and practically destroyed by rust.
One was. evidently, from the descrip-
tion, the knife left behind by Thomas
w. Bullitt of Louisville. KY. when, as
a member OF the famous band. he made
his escape from the prison during the
war OF the rebellion. The other evidently
dated from the sdme time and must
have belonged to another member Of the
Morgan band. The owner of this knife
goes on his name will doubtless be dis
closed.
The fact that the Morgan raiders had
actually escaped through the air shaft,
as they claimed, was further proved by
the discovery hat one of the huge
stones which form the walls of the tun-
mel had at some time been moved. and
had evidently been replaced after those
using that means of escape were safely
out of the way.
This stone was again removed by the
investigators and an attempt was made
to follow the old tunnel beyond the
walls. This attempt failed. however.
as past the walls of the air shaft the
tunnel was blocked by its apparent end
beyond the walls.
Gen. John Morgan's statement as to
the m of his escape was further
confirmed by the fact hat this stone
was removed from the walls of the air
shaft almost exactly cell 81, in which
the famous confederate was confined.
This agrees with the statements made
by him i'm his story OF his escape.
Mr.. Bullitt will be told by Warden
Coffin OF the finds made i'm the peniten-
tiary. and the discovery of his famous
knife. The Bullitt knife will be photo
graphed, and the picture will be placed
in the penitentiary archives. as Mr..
Coffin has taken great pains and inter-
est in collecting the records of the ia
nous institution of which he Is the
IA. ~. Il It
knife will be returned to Mr.. Bullitt, as
1t will be of more interest to him than
to n else. 1t was originally eight
or nine inches long. perhaps. but time
and rust have destroyed a large part of
this length. Not more than six inches
of the blade remain, and even that is so
thoroughly corroded that IL must be
handled carefully to prevent II falling
to pieces in the hands. The handle is
altogether gone as the wood of which
IL was originally composed fell TO pieces
In the hands of Guard Vision, who
first found the knife.
Evidence was secured proving that
prisoners have known of the existence
of the air shat for a much longer time
than the authorities, however. One
prisoner has claimed at various times
that he has been in the shaft, but his
statements have never been credited.
To-day. however. proof was found that
some prisoners had entered the cham
Der. even IL the one who mas claimed
the credit is not entitled to IL. In a dark
corner Of the air chamber a string was
found. which, when pulled. was our
to lead into a cavity, whose existence
had not been suspected. At the end
OF the string was a bundle. which prov
ed TO be a fine rope. with a huge iron
hook at the end, evidently made for use
In getting over walls. This rope was
wrapped in a copy Of a Cincinnati pa
per OF Oct. !. 1898.
II is believed that this rop was left
by some member Of the desperate gang
that recently tried to escape from the
prison, n the matter will be investi-