The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-03-06
A HOLE IN THE ROCK
The Story of an Attempted Es-
cape From Gibraltar.
BURRoWING OUT OF PRISON..
The Wonderful Secret Work That Con-
.ict RealFf Performed In the Teeth of
Constant and Systematic Supervision
by His Jailers.

by His Jailers.
Ambrose Realf was undergoing a
life sentence on the towering rock OF
Gibraltar for scuttling his ship for the
sake Of the insurance money. The
governor tod 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 a 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 a 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 4 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 au ohicsr would 90 TO Realf's
shed 10 unlock him and bring him
along with the rest.
But this afternoon the door was
opened ia vain Realf was not there
And yet twenty mi1ffes previously he
had been seen through the little win
dow when visited by the chief warder
He had even answered to his name as
he stood planning at his bench in a dark
recess. He was gone. how or where
not soul knew PROFESSIONALLY the
shed was locked on the outside. and
the lock had not been tempered with
And there appeared no other exit ex-
eept the d0or nothing but solid rock.
The little >hauty was ransacked. emp
tied. hut without result
Gould the mau ! wondered have
discovered some secret receSs2 You
know the whole rock IS fairly honey
combed with holes. both natural and
artificial ike Grgyere cheese Alarmed
at the results such an escape wouid
have on the morale Of my dangerous
gangs. bad torches brought and per-
sonaIly examined every uo0k and cram
~ Of the cfT inst which the she'd
was built Then my best officers went
over II al with hammer and crowbdr.
But NJ. nothing but solid rock Now
for the ioor IL was level and fairly
smooth. Just covered in places With
little loose single
Bring me j hucset Of water
cried with sudden Inspiration When il
came. I threw il carefully out and We
al watched More and more We
fairly Inundated the aoor and shouted
win excitement as we saw it ebb al
most as swiftly a we poured.
Mere absorption was impossible
The rock was not porous. There must
be 4 cave or tunnel below The man
hunt was growing hotter now. Relent
lessly We traced the ebbing streams TO
a dark and distant corner. where l had
TO get down on all fours 10 crawl IN
der a massive rock shelf. Here the
last trickle disappeared
Like a flash our crowbars were at
work. and. To- big block was pried
up. revealing a dark gulf below ap-
preached it cautiously. Now. Realff.'
! cried sternly. its all up! We've got
your
There was no reply. My chief
warder poked a pole down and found
a depth of eight feet. He and two
giant subordinates got out their re-
volvers, seized lanterns and SWING
themselves in - as ticklish 4 job as
routing out a wounded tiger from his
lair We above waited long and
breathlessly Suddenly faint shout
Travelled up to Us. followed by sounds
Of a desperate struggle in the cavern.
r.. nj by back they cane. with Realf
securely handcaTel Lowering ropes.
W haued him up. battered. but smil-
ing
HE faeed his ppointment with
rare pluck. flashed q smile on me and
said. Better luck next time. colonel
THAT was the end OF four long and
patient years Of endeavor think be
discovered the pit shortly after he
was first put in the shed. And he had
not only enlarged it with a scrap OF
iron and the patience of another Baron
Trench. but be had also extended It
lateraIly, no doubt hoping for ultimate
escape 10 the sea by the subterranean
passage.
But even this in any event was only
the first stage. Realff's provision went
much further. He had actually built
himself a boat out of nondescript
scraps OF canvas. old sacks and odds
ana ends Of timber. It was a marvel
of constructive skill. yet surely none
but a desperate man would think Of
committing himself to the Iediter-
ranean or Atlantic in such crazy
skiff-a mere tiny coracle barely cape
Bile OF keeping a man adoat Of course
be felt sure that once launched he
would soon be picked Up by some
passing craft ia the crowded strait Of
Gibraltar. and be had st6ry ready
FOR bis saviors as wei as provisions
Tor himself. OF these last he had
ibundan nee chiedy biscuit and salt
1ork-laid By BIZ by biz from his RI
ions and carried out daily from the
,rison fl such small quantities as to
dude the search made at every parade. I
~But that the man WAS able 70 labor /
D his cave and build and provision /
- st --f- ~ ...,,,-sor ,H and 4