The Sunday globe., 1901-05-12

maue lnelf escape has Always DSS"
mystery to everybody, Who told them
how the cell block was constructed
For the first time in the history of this
celebrated escape the real facts have come
to light and the true solution has been
arrived at. S. d. Miller, boy convict,
is the individual who furnished the Con-
federate officers the case knives with
which they removed the cement from the
floors of their cells, thus admitting them
to the air chamber or tunnel running un.
der the cells to the female stockade of the
great prison. Miller, who is now bro
ken down old man, furnishes the confes.
sion in this article, all danger or fear on
his part of being punished for his assist
ance to General Morgan, thirty eight years
ago, having passed. The following letter
in response to inquiries by the writer,
corroborates Miller's story, and leaves no
further room for doubt or speculation as
TO the manner in which the Confederate
general and companions escaped from the
prison.
SPRINGFIELD, o., May 8, 1901.
Dear Sir In reply TO your letter of in
quiry enclosing confession Of Samuel ID.
Miller, a former prisoner in the institu-
tion, desire to state that have every
reason to believe in its absolute correct
ness.
The air chamber tunnel was explored
under my orders and supervision, and
the case knives furnished the Rebel Off
GERS were found covered with rust and
the handles rotted off. The exploration
was made for purposes other than the
authorization of Miller's statement,
which was not known at that time.
Very truly yours,
Il. G.. COFFIN EX Warden.
When Governor David Tod wrote the
letter Of inquiry asking a full investiga.
ton Of the occurrence, he little thought
that prisoner, mere boy at that time,
had given the Confederate officers just
what they wished, above all things, the
very key to their unpleasant situation,
Neither had Governor Tod the iaintest
idea of how the prisoners had received
the valued information when he wrote
this letter to Warden Merton, after a
searching and thorough investigation had
been made by two State officers and the
penitentiary officials.
Here is a copy Of the Governors auto.
graph letter which has never been pub
lished before:
eovERNERs ToD's LETTER.
STATE OF OHIO,
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBUS, Dec. II, 1868.
N. MERTON, ESQ,
Warden of Penitentiary:
Dear Sir: Deeply chagrined and morti-
fed as | was TO hear of the escape OF
John Morgan and six other Confederate
prisoners, am glad to know from the
report of MessTs. Wright and Hoffman,
Just handed to me, that there is not the
slightest evidence to be found of fraud
or corruption on the part of any OF the
officers, either civil or military, con.
cerned in their custody, nor on the part
of any individual or citizen without or
within the prison, but that the sole rta
son for their escape is to be found in the
misunderstanding between General Ma
son and yourself as to which of you
should after the Sd of November, be
responsible for and have the care of the
inspection of the prison cells. To avoid
danger of a like occurrence | have now
to request that you take upon yourself
the entire charge and responsibility Of the
safe keeping Of the prisoners. That you,
and you alone, select and employ ali
guards and other assistants which you
may deem necessary for faithful and
vigilant discharge of this duty.
You are at liberty to make requisition
upon me for everything necessary to en-
able you to comply with this request and
it shall be promptly furnished you. |
have furnished Colonel Wallace, the new
commander of this post, with a copy of
this letter Of Instructions and ordered
him TO conform his action thereto.
Respectfully yours
DAVID TOP, Governor.
Miller's confession, in, his own words. is
substantially as follows:
MILLERs STATEMENT.
For the first time in thirty-eigLt
years, except to the members of my own
family, who have well kept the secret,
| will now tell the true story of the es.
cape Of General John Morgan from the
Ohio penitentiary, and my part therein.
l want 1t distinctly understood that l
then did not know or realize what was
doing when | gave them the only tools
they had to make their escape with. l
was then only boy, and what did was
in spirit OF adventure, and for the Dur.
pose of breaking the terrible monotony
OF prison life, as 1t was then. II was not
because favored the South, for | did not.
but simply because they were, as was.
prisoners in the Ohio penitentiary.
General John II. Morgan and over
sixty of his officers have forgotten the
exact number-arrved here as prisoners
OF war on the 30th day Of July, 1868
They were locked in the second and
third ranges on the south side of east
hall. The Toy Shop Company was
locked in the first range, now called first
B. was employed in the toy shop and
my work was to paint birds and flowers
on baby carriages, A. NJ. Denig and DR..
lde were the contractors.
The prison officers and guards had
charge of them for a month or two when
they were turned over to The care of sol
diers, who afterwards guarded them.
Besides the sentries who guarded the
outside OF the stockade that enclosed
them, they put soldier In each guard
house with the wall guard.
AT first Morgan and his men were al
lowed great many privileges inside |
their glOckade They were ont Of thai |