The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-02-29
HIS LAST ESCAPE

man saving savagely at his iron bars
In the second tier,
He stops 70 squeeze sponge Of oil
upon the gIttering saw.
He has sawed two above. two below
and two on the left on previous nights
and secreted his work with bits OF SOIL
ed bread rubbed into the filings. Now
he has cut one and Is. at work upon the
last.
The window Is far above the door.
and he stands upon stool
He suddenly stops as a fash comes
upon him. He sinks back out OF slgbt
and buries his face with his hands.
An instant passes. He RECEIVERS. He
reappears at the CRATE. selves II In his
enormous hands and wrenches II mad.
~. II yields. breaks. and he staggers
back with It In his hand and falls upon
the floor, stunned and bleeding.
Although n murderer, he prays TO
some power which he blasphemously
calls his God and leaps 10 his feet and
grasps n bunchy, tattered coil OF strip
ped bedclothlng. affixes IL 10 stump
OF remaining bar and plunges out
ward and downward by the wall.
Ii Is the work OF minute. His
palms are scorched. but he forgets
them, reaches the end OF his rope.
trembles. shuts his eyes and-drops.
Ii Is but a few feet. He dashes for
the outer wall. A shed Il one round
of his ladder. bakery is another. He
crawls across upon his stomach, gains
the farthermost edge and throws him
self downward In the midst OF hor-
rid burst OF sound. a glare of light and
10000 shouts OF alarm.
Nothing stlngs him. No shot has
struck him of the six hurled at him.
He plunges through the water to his
lips, gains a road and tears along.
whistles shrllly with his remaining
breath. is rushed upon by two men In
coats and muffiers. is seized. thrown
into a wagon and whirled away.
His name is Richard Starkweather,
man so fierce that they have caught
and Gagged him for his crimes n dozen
times. but dozen times he has es-
capped
Two friends have communicated
with him In some mysterious way and
supplied him with the necessary imple-
ments, and these same friends now are
driving him or TO safety.
He does not know where they drive.
for he has nearly tainted. They know.
however, and rush onward and into a
forest. where there is a hunters hut.
Into this they carry him and hide
him. They battle him tenderly and
care for him like women. Two days
pass. lie Is well. though weak and nerv-
Gus. on each day one of the men goes
away and comes back laughing at the
tumult Starkweather's escape has
made and bringing food with him.
They say $1,000 reward is offered by
The state for his body. and they laugh
all the more. and Starkweather Joins
them heartily.
On the third day he lies partly COW
cred with moss within the hut, with
his eyes closed. trying 10 sleep or his
nervousness One OF the men comes
back from the town and after looking
at him a moment goes outside 10 talk
with the other. while he listens curl
ously.
One OF them says. "He Is asleep"
And then they continue. AS he hears
what they say bis eyes open wide:
they stare out OF his head. lie strains
his ears; his breath forces itself from
him. He hears feet running, and he
lies down again and Is calm and quiet.
They look I'm upon him again and
again say 10 each other. HE Is asleep"
An hour after they awake him to say
that there is danger, and they must go
tomorrow at night and hide elsewhere.
He smiles gratefully. Tomorrow comes.
Night comes. He hides an iron bar In
HIS shirt. and they get into the wagon
cautiously, one on each side OF him.
and drive on They come TO n road
which forks. They take the right He
puts his hand into his breast and says:
Take the left"
They stare at him and keep on. He
orders them again:
take the left or halt!"
They suddenly seem TO comply. They
turn the horse sharp TO the left. the
fore wheel gets under the body Of the
wagon, and II is hurled over and falls,
with n crash. A shrill whistle bursts
upon the night. and fifty men and fifty
lights are on the road at once.
There is great shout a sharp cry,
scufiie. with desperate blows. and they
have him fast He is cut and bleeding.
His two betrayers stand before him
and all the rest about him. He glares
at them and gasps. His mouth Is
filled with dust. and he can say moth.
Ing at frst but finally bursts out like
a Wild animal
Look here, men, he shouts. nod
ding at the two before him. II heard
them plan 10 turn me over TO you. I
heard them plan out the blood money
between them. They have played me
IlL..- a