The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1904-03-11
ESCAPE OF GEN. MORGAN.
Az Eye wituess Tells How This Interesting
Event Happened.


The Old narrative OF the tragical
e'ctpe OF Morgan and several Cf
his men from the Ohio penitop-
ttary, has been retold so often
that every school child has be-
come familiar with It. but to
listen to the true narrative, 10
every detail. from an eye witness,
a prisoner end sccomplice In the
maneuvers aud plans OF prepara-
tlon for an escape from such an
impregnablS prison, sounds mi
raculous. We have here IN this
comfortable and elegant homo for
Conf,deratos, an intelligent old
gentleman, In the person OF Capt.
l.. ID. Holloway, who was one of
Gen. Morgan's trusted men, who
experienced 1t all aud gives a lucid
description OF that escape.
Many variations OF this escape
from prison have been seen In the
public prlnl-diirerlng widely as
10 how the escape vas affected.
Some have II that he bribed a
guard, &C., MS to his getting away,
hut this is not correct. They, Gen.
Morgan and men, devised means
for escape by tunneling through
the hard four.inch cemented floor,
down into nm air passage under
thrir cells and through brick air
cell and under two very thick
rione walls aud came up in an
open, vacant and 1utraveled mar.
row lot, inside of the penltcntlary
walls. To scale the walls OF the
penisentIafy was the question,
Guards were all the time on the
alert, day aud night, and with
special orders TO "use more than
Ordinary vigilance, Ms we have au
important prisoner and his men,
aud We think In tho most secure
prison ln America. OF course II
would do no good 20 get out In the
Enclosure Of the prison unless es-,
cape thereirom could be accom-.
pllshed.
Their wits had been put to a tax
sufficient 10 this end before the
first beginning. A detail was
made Of a few men to steal Ahnough
OF the roller towels, occasionally,
not enough TO be missed and thore.
by create suspicion. From these
towels ropes were made. An old
iron poker about tho stove was
heated aud beut so as 10 hook
over the wall. They, (sevon OF
thom, including Morgan, Tom
Hines and FIVE Others,) climbed
the towel rope and deoended 10
tho outside ground on very dark,
bolstarous and stormy night, as
luck had It. They went boldly to
the depot and bought tickets for
Cincinnati like any other passen-
gers. To their surprise the car
had many Federal soldiers and
ohicors aboard. Gen. Morgan
took a seat by a couple OF officers
and after discussing the events OF
tho war Spoke Of their hearing,
heard they, (the Federals.l That
Gen. Morgan was prisoner and
In q secure prison for the re-
malnder OF the war; and proposed
10 take n little apple brandy from
a flask which tho General had, to
which they readily assentod.
To enumerato the narrow mar
gin for escape securely, even after
getting on the train and pulling
cut, would surpass fiction. The
pulling OF the bell rope TO cause
the train to slack up 50 they could
get of before reaching Cincinnati
where the General had so many
friends and acquaIntances-th'
hiring OF a skin In the dark night
and crossing the Ohio river, and
other incidents too numerous fol
your limited space.
This old hero, Capt. Holloway
who gives graphic description o
Morgan's escape, has a map ol
skctch OF tho prison and its on
vironments. rhe Captain wa
eighty years old last Friday, ant
seems, yes, SHY $, he is as juvenil,
and vivaclous as when In hi
teens.
OF all the Confederate Homes II
the South, dare say there is no
one that can compare with this
A spacious, commodious aud i'm
posing four Story building OF on
hundred or more rooms, we'll fur
nished and u man in the rlgh
place as commander. The on
hundred and ilfty.ilve old warrior
are as happy, contented and sati,
fled as man can be.
Col. Coleman, the Commsndan