The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1904-09-09
Tunnel Built Up to Escape Ralders


Mo-, recently led to a curious discot
cry. A gang Of laborers was at worl
IN the rear Of the Hotel Miller. Whel
about five feet down one OF then
funk his shovel in the earth and
went out Of sight. The 1aborer wonlt
have followed his implement had ,
comrade not caught him.
An investigation showed they hai
tapped a seven-foot tunnel. extending
northwest and southeast. Going north
west few hundred feet the under
ground passage terminated In q large
room. rooted with heavy timbers. This
had evidently been the entrance from
above. for there was manhole cut
through the timbers. Boards had been
laid across this and covered with
earth to secrete the entrance
The tunnel extended to the limits
OF the city in the southwest It was
carefully boarded on the sides and
rooted with railroad ties. "A tall man
could pass through without STOPPING.
The entire distance was about mile.
The tunnel was finished from end to
end In substantial and workman
like manned and the wooden roof was
in fair state of preservation.
Although no one was aware Of the
existence of this queer subterranean
avenue. 1t is known that the entrance
is about the center of the old Harris
prison stockade, and it is conjectured
that It owes it's existence to military
expediency. The Harris house prison
acquired considerable fame of a GER
tain sort during the war. 1t was the
Andersonville of northern Missouri. 1t
had been hotel, and was large
enough to hold several hundred pris-
oners by little crowding.
Macon was The department head
quarters for northern Missouri. Gen.
Lewis Merrill was commander. Mer-
rill's Horse was constantly rounding
up bushwhackers, oath violaters and
marauders generally. Sometimes they
corraled men who came under neither
head. In September, 1862, there were
among the prisoners lawyer and a
banker of unquestioned character, but
with sympathies for the South. They
were charged with acts for which the
military law provided death penalty.
Their guilt had been pronounced, but
II was decided to execute only ten Of
the prisoners, the unfortunates to be
drawn by lot.
The lawyer and the banker had
high friends on the outside. At 8
o'clock on the afternoon of the twenty
fourth day they were released and
returned home. At TIE provost mar
shall entered the room where the con.
victed were and superintendent the
drawing. The ten drawing the death
cards were shot the next day. The
lawyer and banker, yet following their
respective vocations, are both promi-
nent in Missouri to-day.
Owing to the rigor with which the
bushwhackers we're chased by Mer.
rill's Horse retaliation by the enemy
was constantly expected. Day by day
reports came in Of massing columns
OF guerrillas under the black flag.
After Quantrells merciless work at
Lawrence it was expected that he
would visit Macon, where the first
Confederate flag of the war had been
torn down and where there was mill
tary organization for the express OBJ
ject of running down predatory bands.
Merrill's Horse was in no position
to ask quarters from the guerrillas.
and 1t is thought that the ancient tun-
T 81 Just found was constructed as
way of escape If the stockade failed
to hold the enemy. Only one man at
q time could get through the entrance
and rear guard in the room below
could have held back regiment until
the defenders escaped. The floor was
hard and smooth and the width great
enough for three men to walk abreast.
Here and there the tunnel was widen
ed out, probably for the storage OF
arms ana PROVISIONS.
After Bill Anderson had shot down
the invalid soldiers on the North Mis-
souri, train in September, 1864, and
Major Johnston's com
mand of 300 men at Centralia he
shook his fist to the north and de-
clared there was one more town
where the souls Of slaughtered men