The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1908-01-03
STORY OF ESCAPE
OF Gen. J. II. Morgan, from the
Ohio Penltentlary.

The Noted Cinfederate Raider and
His Comrade Had No Assistance
from Outside.
Ever since the escape Of John Nor
gan the famous Confederate raider
from the Ohio penitentiary insinua-
tons have been made that Morgan
and six of his comrades had outside
assistance from Southern sympathiz-
ers, and that Warden Nathaniel Me-
rion conived at the escape. But
this is not the case.
Thomas w. Bullitt, of Louisville,
lieutenant in the second Kentucky
Cavalry during the celebrated Nor
gan raid, has just visited the cell in
the Ohio penitentiary in which he
was confined in 1864 as a prisoner
Of a This is Mr.. Bulitt's first
visit to the penitnetiary since the
escape. In very expressive terms
ne denies the insinuations regarding
the escape. Accompanied by the
deputy warden. Mr.. Built visited
the cell in which he was confined and
also that was occupied by Morgan.
There was no outside help in
the escape" said Mr.. Bullitt to a
representative of the New York
Times. 81 know, | was in with the
plan from the first, and | helped dig
the tunnel through which the men
escaped. The whole thing was plan
zen by Captain Thomas Hines, and
he hole through the floor was in
his cell. 1t was kept absolutely Sc
cret, even from our w men.
mot more than a dozen or ff-
teen knew anything about It until
the last day when we were unable to
keepit from them any longer. knew
about it because | helped with the
work. am positive that not q sim
gle person on the outside knew a
thing about it. And I'll say this
lbOut Merton, who was warden at
this time: never did like him---I
lisliked him exceedingly---but he
lid not know q thing about the es.
APE. There has been some suspi.
ion that there was some conniov-
tnce on his part, but it was absolut-
'ly untrue.
"The work was al done with case
Knives, which we stole from the din
ing room, and n shovel, which one
If the men stole somewhere. 1t was
Used in digging the tunnel"
Bullitt assisted the other men to
get away, but did not go himself
because MS cell was near the end of
the cell block---No. 4---and a gaurd
stood near it. It was feared this
.uard would hear him if he made
an attempt, so he decided he should
stay behind. Captain Hines, who had
.ell 10, commenced the work, dig
ging through the floor, under his
0ed. Every morning he would
clean his cell up nicely and put every
thing in such prim condition that a
'ook at the inside, without making
During the day when the
men allowed the freedom
Of the corridors for exercise,
Town through This hole the men
would climb. The cell tier was built
on an archday, and in here
there was plenty Of room to work.
The distances were carefully meas
lred and holes dug up to the cells
from below. When the floor had
been sufficiently removed that a
stamp Of the foot would break it
through, work would be started on
another cell.
AT the same time work was go
lng on in the tunnel. On the day
o. General M ,rgan's escape he
changed cells with his brother, Big
Dick Morgan. A hole had been
dug into Dicks cell. In this way
the general escaped, the brother
staying behind.
-Four of the seven men who es-
capped are dead" said Mr.. Built.
Smith, | have not sec for two
years or 0 and am not certain
whether he is living, but | think ne
is. Niece and one other lost track
OF soon after the war, and | don't
know whether they are living"
Mr.. Bulstt was a prisoner from
August, 1863, until early in the
spring of 1864. Only the commits
stoned officers confined and on
~ a part Of them were put in the
O.HO P>iiiCSlioidi VIC oCllcIS DclDR
taken to Allegheny, Pa. Mr.. Bull
lit knew but little about the prison,
as the Morgan men were not allow
ed to work in the shops.
The only part Of the inside of
The penitentiary | ever got to see
was my own corridor and what I
could see while being marched across
the court to my meals. We often
wished they would pat us to work
n the shops. We would have taken
the prison if they had"
Mr.. Built came near making this
visit to the prison on the anniversary
of Morgan's escape. 1t was in No
vember II, 1868, and his visit was
only a few days later, forty-four
years after the escape.
A Nice Job.
a poor laboring man was recently
fined and bound ovcr to make his wife,
Il very garrulous and quaIrelsome wo.
man Knnn tho AnnA 60, at. .--