The daily Alaskan., 1905-05-18
STEALING
 ...H C A R
IorIginaLl

| Halt a dozen pipes were WitnuraWn from as many mouths, and the smOk- ing comrades pricked up their ears.
 Never heard O that raid," remark ed one of them.
 Lets have It." said another.
 "Me and my friend Bll Acres tun- neled out O AndcrSonvillc prison pen and made a successful cscape-that is, we escaped from the prison and had the whole south to roam in, Gettin' Into northern territory was far diff fercnt matter l found a dead Coufed- crate that hadn't been buried and ap- propriated his clothes. There wasn't much uniform about 'em, but they had the southern cut, and the coat at least was gray, with C. S A. on the buttons.
 "well, Rill and | Concludcl to scpa- rate. We wouldn't be of use to each other. and it might give me away as a Confederate to be seen aSSoCiatn' with miserable escaped Yankee prisoner. So when we came to a fork in the road Bill took to one fork and to the other. didn't see anything of Bin for two weeks, and in the meantime I'd gone over good deal of ground. When l did see hlm it was this way:
 "one night-I always travelei nights and hid in daytime struck a rail, road. was pretty near worn out and determined to follow the track tn l reached a station and try to beat my way on train goiu' north, relyin' on my check and Confederate uniform for protection. Fact Is, was so des- perate that l was even willm' to run the risk of bein' taken In for spy. walked on the ties for an hour, when I came to sleepy little station, A freight train stood on side track with a locomotive headed south. l walked along till l came to the rear car, box car, and heard voices inside of iL listened and soon learned from what they said that they were lot ot Un- ion prisoners Of war on their way Co Andersonville. But what startled me most was hoariu' Bin Acres voice among the rest. There was no guard about which surprised me, and, call in for Bin, made myself known to him. He told me of his capture and said that the prisoners had an given their parole to the guard not to escape on condition that they be furnished with a first class meal the next day. Then the guard had gone or to a dance in a barn. There wasn't much use takin' the prisoners parole, for they couldn't git out nohow.
 While we was talkin' | heard puffn' below and knew there was a train comin' up from the south. l made up my mind to play a desperate game. l told the boys in the car to keep still. Seein' a lantern on the station platform, I swung it and stop ped the comin' train. a freight
 "what dy' wantT asked the con ductor. gittin' out Q the cabOoSe car | in the rear and comin' forward with lantern.
 "I want that car coupled on to your train
 "'Got an Ordery
 Not a railroad order. The army can't wait for railroad rcd tape, That's what brought it down here when it's wanted farther north. It's full of ammunition
 This settled the matter, and the man gave the necessary orders. had learn cd from the men in the car that we were between Raleigh, \. C., on the south and LynchburC, Va, on the north. told the conductor that l wanted the car pulled to Lynchburg. When 1t was coupled oa behind the ca boose and we had started, the conduct or invited me to ride in the car with him, but l told him that l wouldn't leave the ammunition out of my sight for moment. had my plans all form ed. My intention was when we reached a convenient point to uucouplc the car, break open the door, free the prisoners md all make tracks for the Blue Ridge.
 "Of course the nearer we could get 10 -Ee mountains the better, but of course III the time wc stayed with the train ye were at great risk and under terri | 1lc suspense As soon as we got into | Virginia I began to think of dr0ppin' | ,way from the train. Luckily at a station where we stopped l was able
 } steal cr0wbar for openin' the car md laid it on the roof Since all was :oln' well. kept with the train till We
 cached point ten or a dozen miles from Lynchburg and as many from the mountains; then went to the couplin'. ,Ee door of the c0ba1Se was right up l lSainst the coupled end of the prison | .Ir, bat the CabOlSe door was shut, and | T the risk took was of its bcin' sud lclly opened. couldn't pull the coup tin pin. so I got my crowhar, and .his helped me out. After drawin' the | pin I waited while the car fell slowly aack, not darin' to make sound with he brake. tell you I watched that ,aboose door with terror till my car was far enough away to apply the brake. When I had drifted a hundred | ,,l h, f5saFr, haF,va ma