Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-03-02
4 HOLE IN THE ROCK
The Story of an Attempted Es-
cape From Gibraltar.
BURRC.lNG OUT OF PRISON.
The Wonderful Secret Work That Con-
vict ReaIff Performed In the Teeth Of
Constant and Systematic Supervision
by His JaIers.

life sentence on the towering rock of
Gibraltar for scuttling his ship for the
sake of the insurance money. The
governor told the story of Realff's at
tempt to escape:
THAT fellow led a rowing life-a
daredevil that obeyed every impulse.
good or bad. And yet for three whole
years | found him model prisoner.
At first he was employed as carpen-
ter. and a little later we put him on
the harbor works. But suddenly to
this wild nature came an unQuencha-
bic thirst for freedom. At that time
Realff was in charge of all the labor
ers' pick handles and wheelbarrows in
the ROsia quarry, where he was in
stalled in little lean-tO shed against
a hollow in the mighty cliff. Every
report put before me eXtolled the
mans good behavior.
"Well. every afternoon at the work
ing party of convicts would form up
and return to the prison-which, as
you know, contains some of the tough
est characters of both east and west
! and an officer would go to RealH S
| shed to unlock him and bring him
along with the rest
But this afternoon the door was
opened in vain. Realff was Rot there.
| And yet twenty minutes previously he
had been seen through the little win
dow when visited by the chief Warder.
He had even ansv cred to his name as
| he stood planning az his bench in dark
recess. He was gone. how or where
not soul knew. Unquestionably the
shed was locked on the outside. and
the lock had not been tempered with.
| And there appeared no other exit eX-
cept the door. nothing but solid rock.
| The little shanty was ransacked, emp
| tied but without result.
Gould the man. | wondered, have
| discovered some secret recess? You
know the whole rock is fairly honey
combed with holes, both natural and
artificial. like Gruyere cheese. Alarmed
| at the results such an escape would
have on the morale of my dangerous
gangs. l had torches brought and per-
sonally examined every nook and cram
ny Of the cliff against which the shed
was built Then my best officers went
over it all with hammer and crOwbar
! But no. nothing but solid rock Now
for the floor. 1t was level and fairly
smooth, Just covered in places with a
little loose shingle.
Bring me a bucket of water
cried with sudden inspiration. When II
came. threw it carefully out, and we
all watched. More and more! We
fairly inundated the floor and shouted
with excitement as we saw it ebb al
most as swiftly as we poured.
Mere absorption was impossible
The rock was not porous. There mus
be a cave or tunnel below The maj
hunt was growing hotter now. Relent
lessly we traced the ebbing streams t.
a dark and distant corner. where | ha(
to get down on all tours to crawl I'm
der massive rock shelf Here the
last trickle disappeared
Like a fash our cr0wbars were a
work. and. TO- a big block was prie(
up. revealing dark gulf below. l ap
preached it cautiously. Now, Realff,
l cried sternly, it's all up! We've go
your
There was no reply My chic
warder poked pole down and foun'
a depth of eight feet. He and tw
giant subordinates got out their re
volvers, seized lanterns and swun
themselves in - as ticklish a job a
routing out wounded tiger from hi
! lair. We above waited long an
breathlessly. Suddenly faint shOu
, Travelled up to us. followed by. sound
of desperate struggle in the cavern
By and by back they came, with Real1
securely handcuffed. Lowering ropes
g we hauled him up, battered, but smi
e ing.
! ''He faced his disappointment wit
9 rare pluck, flashed a smile on me an
q said, Better luck next time, colonel
y "That was the end of four long an
e patient years of endeavor. l think b
discovered the pit shortly after b
was first put in the shed. And he ha
not only enlarged it with a scrap {
iron and the patience of another Baro
e Trench, but he had also extended
literally, no doubt hoping for ultimat
escape W lue sea ny lHo SuUlcIIdle1
passage.
:. But even this in any event was on
r. the first stage. Realff's provision wei
e. much farther He had actually bui
himself a boat out of nondescril
h scraps of canvas, old sacks and ode
lie and ends of timber. 1t was a mary
or or of constructive skill, yet surely mol
10 but a desperate man would think
81 committing himself to the Medite
ranean or Atlantic in such a era,
skiff-a mere tiny coracle barely cap
BILE of keeping man afloat OF cour
p he felt sure that once launched
~ would soon be picked up by son
passing craft in the crowded strait
10 Gibraltar, and he had story reat
Re, for his saviors as well as provision
rs for himself. Of these last he hi
fundamentally biscuit and Sc
l pork-laid by bit by bit from his I