Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-10-14

NERVE SAVED HIS LIFE
How Penitentiary warden Escaped
NJ Keeping Cool In Presence
of Cooyict

Early on a certain morning many years
ago the warden Of a pcnitentiary. an ell
derby. gray bearded man. was at work at
his desk. On sudden he heard "a panther
like tread in the room and he OWNED
presence behind him that would have made
less fearless man faint away.
The presence was that OF one Patrick
Burns, desperate. who was doing life
service for murder This man held an
ugly-looking dirk in his hand. The warden
knew he was alone with the most dangerous
prisoner in the penitentiary.
Pretending ignorance Of Burns proxim-
ity, the warden went on with his writing
II the criminal were not I'm existence.
But his brain, remote from the papers that
lay on the desk before him. was calculating
with the sWiftness and the accuracy pc
cullar to brains when the owners of them
are In danger of their lives.
First OF all, the warden wondered how
Burns had managed to slip past the guards
and how he had come into possession of
the long, ugly dirk Then he reflected that
the murderer had grown gray in the prison.
that he knew all the ins and outs OF it.
and that he had been studying nights and
days year after year how he could ac-
compish this very feat
In the little drawer just over the wardens
gray head in easy reach of his hand, his
revolver was locked. TO secure it would
mean his salvation, to be seen making the
attempt would cost him his life. ~
There we're four or five guards in range
of his voice. but had he spoken above
whisper to summon one of them the dirk
would have severed him from existence
He wrote on. as IL undisturbed, his heart
humping, Ills hand steady.
Mr. Warden. it's me that's here" said
Burns, finally, and it's mighty cool you
are about IT.
Il know you're there" replied the war
den coolly. why did you Gomez"
II come because I'm tired Of this. faint
going to stand It no longer"
You're not?"
mo; I'm not I've been in here twenty
years and that's enough for any man I'd
rather be dead than stay longer I've had
enough. I'm going to kill you and get OUT
How long did you say you'd been here?"
Twenty years The mans eyes blinked
ITS a cool way you have of facing DEATH
Mr., Warden. But I've had enough of this
I'm going to leave this hell hole. l don't
know that I've got anything ag'in YOU par
ticularly. but I'm going to get out, do you
hear?' He raised the dirk
What do you mean by getting out,
Burns? Don't you know that you couldn't
get yard beyond the wall before the SEN
tinels filled you fun of bullets?'' The war
den, sparring for time, turned his keen
gray eyes toward the little drawer that
held his revolver.
"Tl take chances. It's enough I've had
Of 1t and I'm going to run chances and get
out of here, alive or head
"Well I wouldn't get excited about TN =,
Burns; let's talk ii over coolly.'
II don't want to talk 1t over"
Don't you think you're foolish. Burns?
You've been serving a long time. youu-goD-
duct has been good and I was Just think
ing Of asking the pardon board TO cons
your case"
We'll, Mr. Warden, u"
Burns faced the barrel OF a revolver,
aimed by the surest Of hands. The wards
was on his feet. "If you move that knife
an inch to the right or the left you drop.
Now turn and march to your cell"
81 amt goin back. l said ! was going to
get out of here. alive or dead and FIN
going to keep my word.y -., -..s
I'm have to shoot them
you kin shoot" He watched the warden
unfinchingly, the knife frightened in. his
! grasp. He was waiting a propitlous second
to drive its blade home sl
You're fool Burns" said the warden.
Ito ruin your chances Of a pardon"
do you promise me a pardon If"
81 don't promise anything. I simply say
that II you go back and behave yours d
I'll see what can be done"
The prisoner reflected a second. But
said was going TO do this. and It's nagein.
me to death they viii he il I, come back
don't want them TO know lost my nerve"
Go back, Burns; nobody but you and me
will know about it,
VERY well. then"
He dropped his dirk on the floor IN
marched on the way he had come.-Cbl-
cago News