Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-01-23
The Anarchist

copyright 1906, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.]
John Cunningham had been gov
ernor of Dartmoor prison for thirteen
years. and during that long interval
not q convict had succeeded in making
his escape. The governor fattered
himself on this fact. He lived -four
miles from the prison, and the less he
visited it the better things were run.
Governor Cunningham finally decid'
ed to write book on criminology.
That was a perfectly natural thing,
since he had go many specimens at
hand. He meant that book to be q
standard and to contain matter TO as
tonish the world He was entirely ig-
norant of his subject, but he went 10
work like Il man who means business.
TO get his data he had to have prison.
ers brought before him to be question
cd and TO have their heads examined
The governor had boosted more IMAM
once that he could tell predisposeo
criminal ten rods away.
One of the prisoners called before
the governor was James Brougnton,
who had received q sentence OF hve
wears for embezzlement. The family
was q respectable one, and this was
the first offense for hundred years.
Broughton himself had anything but
criminal tendencies He was well edu-
Gated. we'll appearing and was remark
ed for his intelligence. The governor
found in Broughton the acme Tor
which he sought. He put him down as
a man who was born with the IN
stincts of q thief. He did not credit
him with ordinary intelligence. he
found him victim of homicidal mania.
Broughton had entered prison de-
termined to make his escape II IL was
within the possibilities. After year
good conduct he was named for the
agricultural gang, the TRUSTEES VINO
moved the meadows and raised q
share of the fresh vegetables consumed
in the prison. He had friends outside
to aid him in so far as furnishing him
SHIT of citizens clothes and small
sum of money. He had made up his
mind to 90 to South America, and ne
must have several hundred dollars.
The fact that he knew not where TO
raise the money prevented his escape
for months. 1t was not until after the
governor had made him choice speci-
men of criminolOgy that brilliant IDEA
came to him. AS the agricultural gang
marched back to prison one evening
Broughton was missing and the alarm
was given. He had found the suit, had
been met by friend with horse and
buggy. and by the time the guards
were securing the country for him the
convict was at the governors house.
A rather queer thing had happened
to the governor ten years before, and
as the incident had been published II
was common property in prison and
out. He had made trip to Russia,
aided an anarchist without knowing
what the man was, and after being
shut I'D in fortress for month he
had been given his liberty and escorted
to the frontier. This humiliation ran
killed. in his breast, and he was mol
backward about saying to freeman OF
convict that he would do most any
thing to get square with the Russian
government. He had been so outspo
ken that lie had received hint from
his own government to moderate his
speech. He took warning by it, but he
still chafed The telephone called the
governor up to inform him that con
Wet had escaped, and while he was
fussng about it the card of q stranger
was brought In. The name was thai
of q Russian, and the governor at once
thought of anarchists and nihilists and
arbitrary measures and became hot.
There was a confab lasting an hour
The Russian did not hesitate to confdt
In the governor. He informed hin
that q plot was on foot to overturI
the government and raise q republic
on Its ruins. He was asked to assist
in the conspiracy. He knew that sucf
action would make him amenable Il
the law, and yet he remembered thu
dreary days and nights in that cell IL
the fortress. He had never talked Will
more intelligent man. He had never
met with another foreigner who spoke
the English language so correctly.
The warning received by the grea
man was ringing in his ears, but h'
thought of the miserable food, the we
straw and the manner in which he hat
been bounced out Of the cars domin
ions and warned to stay out. The tele
phone gave him the particulars Of thu
convict's escape and inquired about OF
fering q reward, but he was too bus.
to attend to such trifes. He first salt
no, but as the Russian rose to leav'
the house the governor brought out
bag containing $500 in gold and places
It on the table and turned his bacl
and began to hum the air Of tune
The Russian tumbled to the subscrip
ton and murmured his thanks. Wit
the gold he picked up one of the gov
errors cards. An hour later trail
was bearing him to Liverpool. He wa
stopped on the way and stopped agail
as he went aboard steamer for Sout
America, but that card Of the governo
carried him through.
The search for Broughton was thor
ough and long drawn out AS 1t wa
the first escape from Dartmoor unde
Governor Cunningham's reign. he wa
overanxious for the mans capture.
the course of a month fifty differen
men were arrested In different parts o
England. but Of course none OF Their
proved to be the person wanted. NC
until Broughton reached South Amel
lea and knew that he could not be e1
tradited did he give himself away
Then there was fun in the big prise
and at the governors ma. N. Th
convicts laughed among themselves
and the press roasted the governor fo
an ass, and the result was resign'