The National tribune., 1902-02-06
NEWSPAPERS FORBIDDEN.
"Uc who has thousand friends
Has not friend to spare
And he who has one enemy
Shall Ineat him everywhere

And he who has one enemy
Shall meet him everywhere.
The imprisoned Confederate officers
were not permitted TO receive or read
newspapers, and, finally, more rigid re-
stridions were imposed regarding the
writIng and receiving Of letters. There
were two men connected with the prison
whom the prisoners especially disliked-
Walden Merton and the turnkey, Scot
ty.'" The antipathy, apparently, was mu-
tuat. The espionage Of "Scotty, who
wal on duty during the day, was intol-
erat,ly annoying. "Scotty" was ever sus-
piG{ous and slyly on tours of discovery,
putting in an appearance at unexpected
tiIses and places. The cOnvicts whose
dulles occasionally took them into the
Ccinfederate's hall were friendly, for
consideration, and sometimes surreptl-
ti+usly delivered coveted but interdicted
newspaper. When a paper was thus in
trnduced il would be read to the whole
party, in detachments, four or five pick
eds" being posted TO watch the movements
Of "Scotty"
Capt. Calvin Morgan in his cell at
night was absorbed in the perusal of il
p.ohibited newspaper when the night
guard on his rounds, detected him. The
Occupants of the other cells had neglected
I'd telegraph a warning by the Gus
t9mary taps" US was usually done when
the guard first appeared to make a tour
OF inspection along the range"
what paper is that?'
"Come in and see"
mo; you must pass it to me through
She bars"
f'I'H not do it. If you want this paper,
unlock the door, come in and get it.
For some reason the guard declined to
enter the cell, but went away, as Capt.
Morgan rightly conjectured, in search of
aScotty." When he had gone Morgan
rolled the paper into small compass,
and, barring his arm, thrust it far up into
the ventilator. Luckily for Morgan, he
had another newspaper, given him that
Gay by a very kind old man, orn Df ~
Aub-wardens. named Hevay. When the
guard, accompanied by Scott, returned.
Capt Morgan was seated in the same at
gitude as when first discovered, reading
Che parer he had received from Hevay.
Scott and the guard entered the cell, and
the latter demanded the paper. Handing
/! to him Morgan said: "Old man Hevay
kindly gave me that paper today" Hav-
ing inspected it closely, the guard said:
e'Why did you not give it TO me befOreE
Because" replied Morgan, II thought
you had ne right to demand il Of me, and
[ was afraid you would not return it.
Scott and the guard. not being thoroughly
tOnyinced of morgan's veracity, suSpi-
hiousIy searched the cell. the guard thrust
Ing his hand up the yentilator, but as his
arm was shorter than MOrgan's he faile1
io reach the hidden paper. 1t was
'fclose eali' for Capt. Morgan, and he
tead no more that night.
Gf.R. MORGAN GROWS RESTLESS. p.
''My horse is weary of his stall
And ! am sick Of captive tbrall.'
During the first, and probably the sec
end, Iaanth OF Imprisonment, Gen. Nor
Kan hefeieaIiy succeeded in restraining any
exhibition OF his feelings, but finally his
impatience became apparent to his com
GaniOhs, who clearly SEW that the con-
linement and perpetual espionage were
more CALLING to him than to any one of
them, although the iTksomeness to every
one of them was almost intOlerable. No
friendly BIOndel with harp and song came
singing outside the gloomy walls beneath
The fortress window, and Gen. Morgan,
growing more restless every day, finally
threw off all restraint, and giving full ex-
preston Of MS feelings, announced to his
officers that he had determined to effect
his escape at any hazard. They were in
full sympathy with the Generals deter
animation, and forthwith began the dis
CuSSIOn of various ways and means of its
accomplishment. They finally adopted
Capt. Illness plan, which was to 'tun-
mel out ef the prison. Gen. Duke can
best tell the story:
: "It required a bold Imagination to con-
ceive such an idea-to tunnel through
the stone pavement and immense walls
OF the peniteptiary, concealing the ire
5nendOus work as it progressed. Hines
had heard, in some way, a hint OF an
air chamber, constructed under the lower
range of cells-that range Immediately
upon the ground floor. His reading OF
the experience Of Jean Vatican, in Vic
tor Hlgo's Les Miserables,' probably led
his mind TO speculate upon the existence
of subterranean passages. The dlyness OF
dhe cells in the lower range suggested an
ftir chamber below At the first oppUr-
Iunity Capt. Hines entered into couyci-
$ation with Hevay, the Deputy Warden.
This cid man was very kind-heartcd and
hYas also an enthusiast upon the subject
of the architectural grandeur of the pen
itentiary. Leading the conversation into
that channel, Hines learned from Hevay
shat bis surmiSe regarding the air cham
ber was correct. If, then, he could cut
fhrOugh the floor Of his celf and reach
jhe air chamber without detection. he
swOuid have, he saw, an excellent base
for future operations. Gen. Morgan
heartily approved Illness plan. Five
other imprisoned officers, whose cells were
ON the first range, We're selected as cOad-
9utOFS IN the Work.
DIGGING TIRoUGH THE FLOOR.
'-The work was commenced with
knives, abStracted from the table These
4iniveS-SquaTe at the end of the blade
9nstead of pointed-made excellent CHS
2elS, and were the very best tools for the
preliminary labor. Putting out 'pickpts'
90 prevent surprise, the men, digging their
way 20 liberty, picked and Chisclcd away
ltt the hard floor, which WAS Is inches
ahick, Of stone, cement and bricI-con-
Eealing the rubbish in their handkerchiefs
stnd then throwing part of it into the
Sstoyes, and hiding the remainder in theiI
tbeds They soon dug Il hole in the floor
2arge enough 10 permit the body of man
TO pass through it, The iron bedsteads
(which stood in each cell could be lifted
aIp or let down at pleasure Each morn
png Hines would prop up his hedstead
sweep out his cell, in which the aperfur,
3lad been cut, and then throw an Old car
pet-bag carccssly over the mouth of tn,
sshaft he had sunk, and when the guart
;wOuld come aud look in everything ap
pearcd SO neat and innocent that he woul,
srnakc no further examination. One kicl
Eeiycn that hyp0critical carpet-bag wouli
have disclosed the pot, at any time from
dhc inception Of the work to its close
AFTER the air chamber had been reache,
IN number of other prisoners were take
pinto the secret, in order that the wor
tInieht so constantly OH.
IN THE AIR-CHAMBER.