The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-06
A HOLE IN THE ROCK
The Story of an Attempted Es-
cape From Gibraltar.
BURROWING OUT OF PRISON.
The Wonderful Secret Work That Con-
Wet ReaItf Performed In the Teeth of
Constant and Systematic Supervision
by His Jaiiers.

Ambrose Realff was undergoing a
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 Realn'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 l 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 10
this wild nature came an unquencha-
Bile 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 Realffs
shed to unlock him and bring him
along with the rest.
But this afternoon the door was
opened in vain. Realff was not there.
And yet twenty minutes 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. 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. I 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 single.
Bring me a bucket of water l
cried with sudden inspiration. When it
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 must
be 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 tours to crawl IN
der a massive rock shelf. Here the
last trickle disappeared.
Like fash our crowbars were at
work. and. 10. a big block was pried
up, revealing dark gulf below. | ap-
preached it cautiously. Now, Realff,'
/ cried sternly, it's all up! We've got
your
There was no reply. My chief
a depth of eight feet. He and two
giant subordinates got out their re-
volvers, seized lanterns and swung
themselves in las ticklish job as
routing out wounded tiger from his
lair. We above waited long and
breathlessly. Suddenly a faint shout
Travelled up to US, followed by sounds
of a desperate struggle in the cavern.
BY and by back they came, with Realff
securely handcuffed. Lowering ropes,
we hauled him up, battered, but smil-
ing.
He faced his disappointment with
rare pluck, flashed a smile on me and
said, Better luck next time, colonel
THAT was the end Of four long and
patient years of endeavor. l think he
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 he had also extended ii
literally, no doubt hoping for ultimate
escape to the sea by the subterranean
passage.
But even this in any event was only
the first stage. Realff's provision went
much farther He had actually built
himself boat out of nondeScript
scraps of canvas, old sacks and odds
and ends Of timber. 1t was a marvel
of constructive skill, yet surely none
but a desperate man would think OF
committing himself to the Mediter.
ranean or Atlantic in such a crazy
skiff-a mere tiny coracle barely capa
bic of keeping a man afOat OF course
he felt sure that once launched be
would soon be picked up by some
passing craft in the crowded strait OF
Gibraltar, and he had a story ready
for his saviors as we'll as provisions
for himself. OF these last he had
abunda nce-chiefy biscuit and sail
pork-laid by bit by bit from his IA
tons and carried out daily from the
prison in such small quantities as L
elude the search made at every parade
But that the man was able to Labor
in his cave and build and provision
his boat in the teeth of constant and
systematic supervision seems to me lit
tie short of marvelous."-New Yori
Tribune.
| NOTICE.