The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1906-05-05

escape vt all hazaru. and flight from
service In which the hope of an hon.
orable career seemed denied him at
the very start.
The guard-house In which the pris-
oners were held was an old tumble
down AFFAIR. so that squad Of four
men-one on each side OF the build
ing-was kept on duty day and night.
Huson and his fellow prisoners made
up ten dollars among them for TIE
purpose Of bribing one OF these guards
to let them escape some dark night.
On one side Of the building what had
once been a door was now plastered
up on the inside. SO that. the guard,
removed by bride or otherwise, 1t
would require the exertion Of but lit
tie strength to effect an escape.
Everything had been arranged: the
guard had been bribed and the dark
night had come. During the day the
prisoners had carefully loosened one
Of the planks covering the old door.
SO they could easily remove It and
escape one at time without making
any noise. The nigu, was very dark
and 1t had been arranged that the
guard was to stop at the upper end
OF his beat few moments while they
got away. Huson was leader Of the
escape. as the keenness OF his suf-
ferings from having been 10 grossly
wronged made him the most desperate
and determined. At the hour appoint-
ed the lights were out and the board
slowly and carefully removed. and
Huson and two others squeezed out.
when the guard called HALT" They
supposed the guard was only acting
his part, and started on. when the SOL
dier promptly fired ball through HUI
sons bowels. The other prisoners
astonished At the turn Of affairs. ran
back into the ruard-house, while tho
wounded man was brought at once to
my ward. but a few rods away. The
above learned FROM the wounded man
while he lay In my charge. and We
were both greatly puzzled by the con-
duct OF the guard. who seemed. with
out any adequate motive. to have act
ed toward the unhappy prisoners with
unparalleled treachery. But the day
before he died the mystery was clear
ed up to him. The personal enemy
who he was quite sure had placed In
his bunk the stolen pocketbook which
led to his arrest and Imprisonment
although he had been unable TO pro-
duce the kind of proofs necessary to
convict him and clear himself-hap-
pened to belong to the Kansas regi-
ment who were on guard duty In the
fort. This enemy. when approached on
the subject. At once accepted the bride.
and promised to assist the escape OF
the prisoners when II was his turn to
be on guard. which would be from
eleven p. m. to one a. m. He carefully
concealed his identity from Huson.
who had contributed his portion Of the
bride money without any inquiry as to
who might be the recipient. II was
customary In the fort at that time to
permit soldiers on guard to obtain .
substitute II they wished. and Husons
enemy. who received the bribe with
the secret intention OF making his at
tempted escape the means Of doing
him still greater injury. had. with
sub lie ingenuity. engaged ~ 4 sub
stiu 10 for the night = young soldier
froi, another company. taking care to
kee., him In Ignorance OF the intended
ate npt to escape. His treacherous de-
sign succeeded only too well.
Hison's last words to me were:
BILLY. tell sister Emma that I vas