Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-13


ten PAGES. Inside the stockade and
fifteen feet away there was littie
ditch known as the dead line" which
prisoners could not cross under pain
OF death. This line was indicated at
night by rows OF dim lamps These
lamps were being lit while l talked
with Walker. The chances OF escape
were practically NIL. and with that ball
and chain attached any attempt meant
death from the guards, yet could not
help saying:
IF you must die, Walker, 20 right
up to the dead Line, and fall under the
rifles OF the home guards better that
than TO be led out and shot down like a
dog"
Il can slip the ball and chain off,"
said Walker. and he demonstrated that
this could be done by removing his boot
and stocking; then he Strengthened out
his long foot, and with a slight effort
freed himself from the ring.
With the help Of yourself and other
friends, he went on to say, 81 believe
l can get over the stockade and make
my escape, though there is a veteran
brigade Ia camp about the place
Near where we sat there was a
stretcher, the body and handles OF
which were about ten feet In length. A
belt fastened across the ends would
make step or resting pl7ce fully
eight feet from the ground If the
stretcher were set on end. Walker. as
has been said, was very tall man,
and without interference he could
reach the top Of the stockade and drop
to the other side. But there were the
lights on the dead line, and the watch
full and ubiquitous guards. Walker
went on to say that the guards were
old men and boys, home guards and
easily demoralized.
IF" he continued, you could get n
dozen or 50 OF our friends to load up
on these bricks and at given signal
heave them Mt the guards off there to
the east, the men from the south side
would think the prisoners were trying
to break through there, and they would
run from their posts and leave me n
clear track for long enough to get over.
Al the worst can only be shot max
ing break for liberty. VIII you
help?"
/ gave Walker my hand In proof OF
my willingness, but 1t was he and not
l who spoke OF the danger to the other
prisoners from the wild firing of the
guards Great though the danger was,
every man with whom | spoke about
the venture was willing to risk being
shot TO help Walker
After 10 O'clock the guards called out
the half hours and the number OF their
| posts. When the man at post No. 10
announced II O'Clock, the men with the
bricks were to attack with vigor, and
Walker was TO rush with the stretcher
for the southern wall. As the hour ap
preached the men with the bricks
crawled as close TO the dead line as was
safe. The night was very dark with a
About Ave minutes before the signal,
which was to come from the enemy,
Walker crept to my side, clasped me In
his arms and whispered:
God bless you, old fellow Another
hour and I'll be a free man or a dead
! one
In the indistinct light from the dead
! line / saw the tall form bending over
the stretcher The minutes were cruel
| ly long TO Walkers friends; what must
they have been to him? At length the
! cry began.
Twelve o'clock Post No. I; and
! all Is well !"
The men with the bricks sat there,
and their breathing came hard.
Twelve o'clock Post No 10; and
airs we'll ~
The last word had not died on the
| lips Of the guard, when thirty men
leaped from the ground. and the fusi-
Iade begun threw one brick In "A
wild way, then turned 10 watch wal
ker
with Il rapidlty that cannot ne de-
| scribed, he dashed over the dead line
to the south. from which. as he fore
saw, the guards had fed Ia an in
slant the stretcher was against the
! gtockade. and Walker had seized the
top I saw his face for a moment as
| with q mighty bound. he swung him
self over. There was firing into the
prison pen. and firing into the camp
outside. through which the fugitive
fed Then far OF we heard yell u
triumph 1t was walkers signal 10 us
that he had cleared the camp. Al
though forty shots were fired into the
prison pen, a slight wound to Captain
Singer. Of the 33d Ohio, was the only
damage done
The Confederate officials made an ex-
animation at once They discovered
that Walker was gone, bat they could
not learn who heaved them bricks"
The last time ! sw Walker was In the
d - he