Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-03-11
A THRILLING
STORY Of
THE WAR
SERGEANT JOHN II. ROBINSON.
(Contlnued from yesterdayl

continued from yesterday
When we stepped out the guard
was not walking his beat, bu. stand
ing at order arms with his back
agairst the door. We Wake Z
around and ready TO pass the time
the guard would start on his march.
and while we were waiting the beat
Ing OF a drum warned us that
roll-call was at hand, so we hurried
back upstairs, picked up our dust
ers as we retreated and threw them
over our shoulders to hide our blue
clothes. After we separated and I
was making the last flight OF stems
] thought II best 20 conceal my
blouse and cap, so | took them OF
and rolled them up in my duster
aud tucked them under the first cot
at the head of the stairway. went
down TO my cot to answer TO my
number, and after roll-call the ward
master called me up to his office,
which was near the head OF the
stairway and on the opposite side
or the room. II was here that /
had secreted my clothes. Before I
had deposited them under this cot I
peeped over the head OF the stair
way to see of he was in and not be-
Ing in sight, / supposed he was out
In some other ward. was very
much alarmed when found that he
had caught me. The first question
was, Robinson. are these your
things?" ! answered, yes" Then
came the question, Where did you
get this cap?" The answer was, "In
ward ii" He said. "Oh. yes! /
knew ] would catch some rebel with
II. Charlie missed this cap several
days ago. This Is a pretty example
to set before your people, stealing
10 an awful thing to think about"
He thought he was making me feel
mean. but the more he said aboug
stealing, and the bad example, the
better / felt, for ! was more fearful
that he would suspicion me for
Planning my escape.
/ had gotten the blue pants from
a Georgian next cot to mine. The
pants let him have, were given by
Mrs. Bennett to her nephew, Lieu
tenant Stewart, while at Frederick
City. Stewart having given the
same TO me after we reached Balti-
more
The ward masters name was
Smith, and after giving me the
tongue flashing referred to, directed
me to follow him. / requested him
to let me go back TO my cot, which
he did, and I exchanged with my
neighb0r from whom ] had received
the blue pants, and got my gray
ones. I put them on and took the
blanket off my cot. for the ward
master had already told me that
would have TO go to the guard
house. ] followed him down stairs
to the office of the head official.
where they took my name, regiment
and rank and administered to me a
severe tongue lashing.
I was then sent to the guard
house and Smith told the guard to
keep his eyes on me. Smith went
quickly back TO the hospital build
ing, returning In a few minutes with
a pair Of shackles. which he put on
my ankles. ] ask him what he was
putting them on me for, that he
would not expect me 20 get out OF
the place. He answered that men
had gotten out OF such places. I
then told him that he had better put
them on my hands. II he didnt
want me 20 get out. to which he
answered that ] might run too fast.
He made me 20 back in the house
and barred the door from the ont
side inquired Of the guard n
there we're seats IN the room. and
he informed me that would find
box in the left hand corner.
The house was covered with plank
about ten inches wide and immedi-
ately over this box there was
plank missing. which left a space OF
about three inches wide Il was
the plank that was used to brake
!he jbut that yrs missing
was anxious to get back to this
opening. rather than to find n seat.
but asked for one that 7 might BE-
able 10 reach to The top Of TIC plate
and TO see n could find what
expected. Ny idea was that the
plank had been loosened by a stroEe
either from the outside or inside and
that probably the stroke had loos-
ened some Of the nails in the ad-
Joining planks. So 7 found 70 as
suspected. two loose planks. one
overlapping the other. While ] was
climbing around in the dark, exam